Tokyo Destroyer
by Nitebreaker
Summary: My most ambitious story to date: a crossover between Tokyo Ghoul, Monster Musume, Parasyte, Once Punch Man, and Overlord. I'll see how it's received. Disparate individuals must come together to save the world from the greatest threat it's ever known. But can they do it alone? Fortunately, help may be only a universe away. Updates as possible. Reviews welcome. Rating may change.
1. Chapter 1

Tokyo Ghoul / Monster Musume / One Punch Man / Parasyte / Overlord Crossover: Tokyo Destroyer

Chapter One: Dark Genesis

…

 _Alright, people. This is perhaps my most ambitious story to date, and I don't know if I can pull it off. A large part of that is gonna depend on you. If it's well received, that will encourage me. If not…then not._

 _Yes, I'm using some OC's in this story, specifically some characters I developed for some original stories of mine on fictionpress under the pen name of nightbreaker57. Sue me._

 _If you're interested, I'll send you a link._

…

 _I don't own the Tokyo Ghoul, Monster Musume, Parasyte, One Punch Man, or Overlord franchises, of course. Just sayin'._

…

 _And before I start, I'd like to thank my friend darksymphony777's Youtube review of my "Monster Musume" fanfic, "Papi's Flight." This story takes up more or less where the other left off. Perhaps…perhaps it'll explain some things as it goes along. Or at least, hint at some explanations._

 _Once again, if I've played fast and loose with certain things, oh well._

… _.._

Chapter One: Dark Genesis

 _It has been theorized that, given the nature of quantum mechanics, it is possible for every single particle in one's body to be simultaneously and spontaneously teleported instantaneously through the quantum substrate onto the surface of another planet, resulting in one's waking up on another world, whole and unharmed. Of course, this is highly improbable, so highly improbable that one need never be concerned about it, for such an event is so unlikely that it will not take place before the projected end of the universe._

 _However, it should be noted that "improbable" and "unlikely" should not be confused with "impossible."_

… _._

August, 2019: The orbital stations had been placed at high alert, but only the absolute top echelons had even the sketchiest idea why.

Several extreme deep-space monitoring stations, originally designed to find and track potentially dangerous asteroids, had ceased to communicate. This much was known to the upper portion of the brass.

But what only a very, very few knew was what the final scan from the last station had shown: what looked like the figure of a man, garbed in red coveralls, surrounded by a nimbus of golden light, glowing as brightly as a star. He was flying straight for the viewer, almost as though to fly headlong down the very eye of the automated camera.

That was the last thing that satellite had reported.

…

Then: A young Rize Kamishiro found herself in the midst of a forest unlike anything she'd ever seen. _Are these redwoods?—_ she asked herself, stepping between the city block-sized trunks, clambering over the huge knobs of roots projecting from the ground. She mused that, had one the time and inclination, one could almost carve oneself a simple, medium-sized dwelling just from the titanic knee of wood—it was wood, wasn't it? It looked almost like iron—thrust up through the forest floor's soil. She looked up. The tops of the trees disappeared into the vastness of the sky; they formed a shade against the sun, so that the entire area below them was drenched in sun-dappled shadow. She placed a hand against one of the trunks, and felt a very faint vibration from within. Were these even trees? There was an almost cathedral-like hush about the place…she couldn't hear any birds singing.

Where was she? Just a moment ago, she'd been in her bed; she was still wearing her nightclothes. But this certainly wasn't Tokyo, or any place in Japan, she was sure. Where was she, and how did she get here?

Something drew her attention to a clearing up ahead. Making her way there (there was surprisingly little undergrowth, with a carpeting of soft green moss covering most of the forest floor), she saw someone sitting on a rock up ahead, someone garbed in an odd looking red outfit, like coveralls. His back was turned to her; he appeared to be completely unaware of her.

The ghoul moved closer. This should be an easy kill…but she no sooner reached the edge of the forest than he spoke. "I know you're there. You can come on out from behind that tree."

Well, alright then. It would still be an easy kill; he didn't look any older than she was. But something about him wasn't right.

A ghoul's sense of smell, like their sense of taste, is very highly evolved and sensitive. That was one way ghouls found their prey: even at night, with their masks on, they could nonetheless zero in on their target by sense of smell.

But…this one…didn't smell like food. In fact, she couldn't really smell him at all. That was odd.

She stepped out from behind the root. "How did you know I was here?" No point in hiding.

"I know lots of things, Rize Kamishiro." Rize started; how did he know her name? And he still hadn't turned around… "I know who you are. I know what you are: a ghoul, an eater of human flesh.

"And I know what you're suspecting: this isn't the planet where you came from. This isn't Earth.

"And I know you aren't dreaming. This is real. Altogether too real."

….

" _Are you getting this?"_

"Roger, ground. All these satellites have been in a straight line for Earth, coming from deep space. Any ideas what it could be?"

" _Negative."_ Roger Corman could sense there was more to it than he was getting, but now wasn't the time to pursue it. He had his hands full, heading the United Nations deep-space exploration station. It was their job to scan for potential threats, "threats" meaning incoming asteroids or comets that could impact the Earth. To that end, the station, and its subsidiaries, had been armed, completely against pretty much every nuclear arms treaty there was or had been, with high-yield nuclear missiles, the "hammers," as they were called, each with an estimated yield of a minimum of thirty megatons. Of course, in the vacuum of space, much of the bombs' destructive power was lacking, since there was no atmosphere to carry a blast wave. So, each of the missiles had been surrounded with a thick sheathing of lithium hydride, which would, upon detonation, expand outward in all directions with enormous force, turning each hammer's warhead into omnidirectional particle accelerators. Properly placed, such explosions should shatter incoming meteors along their fault lines, breaking them up, and / or deflecting them away from a collision course with the planet.

And of course, like so many things, the key words were, "properly placed." Also, thought Corman, there was the little factor of time involved. They had to be able to _see_ the incoming rocks in time to launch their missiles. Otherwise, there would be little point.

 _So it would help if I knew what I was looking for,_ he thought. Something entering the system, on what appeared to be a collision course with Earth…and Ground wasn't sharing with anyone what it was.

Well, maybe it didn't matter. He only had to find the damned thing, and to that end, directed his people to focus every 'scope and sensor they had on the projected vector of the incoming whatever. Whatever it was, he and his people would find it, and find it in time to launch the nukes.

Whatever it was, they'd blow it out of the sky.

…..

"Where did you say I am?" Rize was trying to comprehend it. One minute she'd been in her bed, now, it seemed, she was…who knew where.

"It's called Akkad VI. I don't know where that is in relation to your world…from what I'm seeing in your mind," the pupils of the strange boy's eyes dilated in and out as he looked at her, and Rize shifted uncomfortably. What _was_ he seeing, anyway? And _how?_ "From what I can see in your mind, there's nothing familiar, no marker stars, no familiar constellations. I've a notion you've come a long, long way."

She shivered. Rize had always considered herself tough, but… "But how? How did I get here?" Still moving closer. Just a little closer. At this range, he wouldn't be hard to kill…

Except there was something strange about him. It wasn't just that he didn't smell like food. There was something else, something… _intimidating_ about him. Rize Kamishiro wasn't used to being intimidated by anyone or anything. She found the experience wholly unpleasant. "You seem to know who I am. Who are you?"

"I'm Ben. And I'm not food." He smiled a sarcastic-seeming smile. "Though you're welcome to try, if it pleases you." His sheer self-confidence was not only annoying, it was beginning to erode her own. That just simply would not do.

She whipped out her _kagune_ , angling in on his back. He couldn't reach back there; no matter what, one shot to the kidneys would take him out…

Her _kagune_ glanced off his back as if it were a solid wall. Worse; Rize's _kagune_ could have gone straight through soft brick or mortar. But here, it was as if she'd run into a steel firewall.

Again and again she tried to spear her _kagune_ into him, and again and again she failed. He simply sat there, watching her out of the corner of his eye, a small smirk on his face. It was infuriating.

She tried harder and harder, whipping her _kagune_ at lightning speeds, the tips cracking as they broke the sound barrier. It didn't matter. She tried wrapping her _kagune_ around him, trying to lift him off the ground, to slam him into it. _Always tenderize the meat before you eat it._ But try as she might, she couldn't so much as lift him an inch off the ground. She tried wrapping her _kagune_ around his face, to suffocate him…

He permitted this, but no matter how hard she squeezed, she couldn't get anything like a satisfying grip on him. It was as if he were a statue fixed to the ground.

Finally, she stopped, breathing hard, retracting her _kagune_ , but keeping ready for his inevitable retaliation. Though she wasn't sure what she could do about it…he seemed beyond her power to harm…

"Finished already? I guess I could wait for you to get your second wind."

" _Don't,_ " she began, "make fun of me."

"I'm actually not, believe it or not." He glanced skyward, and, for some reason, she felt a chill run down her spine. "This has actually been a welcome diversion." He sighed. "Now, I'm afraid, it's back to business as usual." He looked towards what she supposed was the northwest. She followed his gaze, and gasped to see hundreds of fast moving pinpoints of light arcing up over the horizon and heading their way…

"Don't worry," he said, "just stay close to me. That is, if you want to live. If you don't, well, your choice." Too stunned to do anything other than comply, she moved in closer, to where she was almost touching him.

The missiles slammed in faster than the eye could follow…and detonated against an invisible shield around them both, the light and the thunder blinding and deafening her. She closed her eyes and put her hands up against the side of her head, a maneuver too late to keep out the sound of the explosions. _Are those nukes?_ —she wondered. If they weren't, they were the next best thing.

The barrage kept up, and she fully expected whatever was shielding them to give way, and that any second would be her last. Even her ghoul physiology couldn't repair being blown to atoms by atomic warheads.

But whatever it was held, and the barrage began to die down, finally ceasing. She carefully removed her hands from her ears and looked around; the ground was still heaving, and the surrounding countryside was a glowing wasteland. Where there had been a mighty forest, now only pools of lava remained. "What…was _that_?"

" _That_ was the Federation's latest attempt to kill me, Rize. There've been scores of others. This one wasn't even the most creative." He snorted. "They never learn."

"But…how did we survive?" She looked around at the shattered ground, the very rock she'd first hidden behind no more than a slumped pile of glowing molten lava.

"We survived because I'm the most powerful telekinetic in existence. If I don't want their stupid missiles to get through, they won't." He gestured at the skies, the clouds overhead drawn by the massive surge of energy, lightning flashing between the clouds as they sought to equalize the charges. The winds had already long surpassed any hurricane level on the Earth she'd come from, and she could feel the shudderings in the ground, as it continued to quake from the missiles' fury. "Nor will those bolts. Nor the wind nor rain, nor radiation." He turned to her. "You're welcome," he said.

….

"A family reunion!" exclaimed Miia excitedly, grasping her hands in front of her. "How wonderful, darling! I'll begin cooking right now…"

"Uh, that won't be necessary, Miia." Kimihito grabbed her hands in his. Even though she'd been studying, he still didn't fully trust her cooking skills. "It's just a cousin of mine coming over for a visit. And another cousin from Tokyo." Miia's cooking had proven to be, er, exceptionally bad in the past. As a lamia, Miia didn't have any taste buds to speak of, so she couldn't tell when something went awry with her cooking. "So it's really not that big a deal." He thought. "I will have to alert Ms. Smith, of course, and I've already prepared my cousins for, uhm…" How best to put this?

"Liminals, you mean." Rachnera was just then coming into the room. The others hadn't yet joined them.

"Well, yes. One's coming over from City Z, and I don't think they actually have any liminals there. Not every city has officially joined in the Treaty, you know. Not that they're opposed to it," _although some are,_ he thought to himself. They'd recently had a thoroughly unpleasant experience with Kasegi, the phony director, who'd inadvertently revealed the existence of anti-liminal groups. "…they just haven't gotten around to it yet." _I hope my cousins are prepared for the sight of my houseguests,_ he thought further. "I'm going down to the bus station to pick him up. Then to the train station…."

"Bus station?" echoed Rachnera, "Doesn't he have a car?"

"Er, no. Unfortunately, he has, uhm, fallen on some hard times lately, so I understand. Anyway, I'm going to have everything delivered shortly. Man, it's a good thing Ms. Smith told me that I could write off expenses like that." Then he saw Miia's expression and hurriedly added, "Now, Miia, don't be like that. You know I'm glad you're all here. But it _does_ take some doing, keeping everything going. I know you're doing everything you can. But you do have to admit, we've a lot of mouths to feed."

"Yes, and Papi's is one of the biggest," muttered Rachnee. Kimihito couldn't disagree; the harpy did eat quite a bit. But… "Now, Rachnee, be nice. You know she can't help being what she is."

"What she is, is a pest," grumped the spider woman. "She's so…so…damned _cheerful_ all the time. It isn't _natural_."

"Well, anyway," Kimihito rubbed his hands, getting back to the matter at hand, "the groceries will arrive shortly. Thank God we found a supermarket that delivers. You two can put them up; I'll go down to the bus station and pick up my cousin."

"What's his name, by the way, darling? I don't recall ever hearing you mentioning any of your family."

"His name's Saitama."

….

Saitama hated riding the bus. He'd much rather have come under his own power. But Silver Fang and Genos had been right. There was no point in alarming people, and a man falling out of the sky would certainly do that. He still had to work on his landings.

He was somewhat excited about seeing his cousin again. It had been a long time, and they both had a lot of catching up to do, no doubt.

The train: Kimihito's other cousin shifted uneasily in his seat. This would be the first time seeing his cousin since…well, the first time in a very long time. He'd have to engage in a bit of deception, but his friends—that is, with one rather vociferous exception-had been right: he could use some time off, some time to reconnect with his past. He hoped he could pull it off.

His seatmate noticed him shifting. "Uncomfortable?"

"Only…a little." He paused, unsure as to how to continue. Ever since a certain event in his life, he'd felt out of place pretty much everywhere he went. And, he was always careful. He had to be. "This…is my first time away from Tokyo in…a long while."

His seatmate nodded in understanding. "Mine, too. I understand. I, too, am traveling far from home this day. I…" and here, he looked out the window at the passing scenery. "…I felt like I could use a change of pace."

"You sound like you've had your share of troubles," said Kimihito's cousin.

"You might say that." He looked back at his companion. "I don't believe we've been introduced. I'm Shinichi Izumi. Everybody calls me Shinichi." He stuck out his hand. His right hand.

Kimihito's eye-patched cousin shifted and reached out with his hand. "I'm Ken Kaneki. Everybody calls me Kaneki."

….

"So, Sai," said Kimihito, "what's with the getup?" The two were in Kimihito's car, driving to the train station.

"What, you mean this?" Saitama indicated his yellow suit with its attached cape. "I'm a hero now. A hero for fun."

"You champion the cause of fun?" Kimihito didn't understand.

"No, I mean I fight evil for fun. I find it's most enjoyable. Unfortunately," he grimaced, "it's not very financially rewarding."

"Well, about that…I do know some people. There's these eight brothers I've recently come to know, and several of them have mentioned positions open at their jobs. But, uh, you might need to lose the jump suit for the interviews."

"But I'm a hero!"

"Who's applying for a job. Come on, Sai, dress for success. Just for the job, surely you can do that."

"Well….I don't know…"

 _Change the subject._ "When did you decide to shave your head? The last time I saw you, you had a full head of hair."

"Oh, that. Well, once I decided to become a hero for fun, I began training. I trained so hard all my hair fell out."

Kimihito looked surprised. "Wow. You must've trained pretty damned hard."

"I had to. City Z was always getting attacked by monsters."

"Er…monsters?"

"Gruesome things. One was the epitome of all the pollution people have dumped into the water. But I took him out with one punch." He sighed, clenching his fist and staring at it. "Actually, that's become kind of a problem for me lately."

"Uh, Sai? About monsters…I did tell you about my houseguests, didn't I?"

"What? Oh, yes. The liminals. I've never met any—we don't have any in City Z—but I'm really interested in them." He smiled an uncomplicated smile. _Typical Sai,_ thought Kimihito, with a secret grin. _That childlike fascination. I think he'll be okay._

 _I just hope my other cousin doesn't freak out. After all, he's a student at the university there; he's probably never had anything unusual happen to him._

…

Deep space: the alerts and alarms had been ringing like bells for the last hour. Corman was beside himself. "Exactly _what_ ," he began dangerously, "are we dealing with?"

The young lieutenant squirmed in his seat. He hated being put on the spot like this; he had no more idea what was coming than his superior. But he did know something, something that turned his face as pale as a sheet. "Sir, whatever it is, it just blasted through Ceres. I checked and double-checked. There's no doubt: there's nothing but an expanding cloud of rubble where it was."

Corman was shocked. Ceres was—had been—the largest asteroid, easily five hundred miles in diameter. And the intruder had gone _through_ it? Why? What was it, a neutron star? A black hole? But no, either of them would have sucked in the remnants of the asteroid. "Get me Central Command. And sound full alert; arm every warhead we have." He grimaced. "We may need them."

…..

A universe away, on another Earth: "We got lucky," said Ben Sinclair, known on this world as Typhon. He paced back and forth like a caged lion. "We got very, very lucky. If things had gone just a little differently…"

"But they didn't," soothed Lindsay, lounging comfortably on one of the soft futons placed around the living area of what most people called the "Palace," but which these two simply called "home." Her green, hooded cape splayed out around her. The artificial moonlet they'd created, which they'd named "Olympus," had, in time, become their natural habitat, and, lately, their base of operations. "Things _didn't_ go differently, Ben. We _were_ able to slingshot Chaos into that galactic black hole. Surely, not even he could come back from that."

"Don't be so sure." Ben's voice was grim. "It's true, it would take infinite power to escape from a black hole, especially one of that size. But from what we've been able to determine, Chaos seems able to draw upon his alternate selves from all the universes in the multiverse. And there's an infinite number of them. So, he _has_ infinite power, at least theoretically." He paused. "Has…has Dr. McLemore…learned anything more about…?" And even without telepathy, Lindsay knew what he was going to say.

"No, Ben. Tori's…condition…hasn't changed."

"Where…where is she now?"

"Outside. Ashley's with her."

When the five of them had found themselves somehow transplanted from their old universe into the one they currently inhabited, both Tori and Ashley had suffered what appeared to be total amnesia. Ashley's memories, however, had come back, with time and help from Lindsay's—Mentalla's—telepathic power. But Tori's seemed to be gone for good.

And that was tearing Ben up. Because, in another life, he and Tori had been as one flesh, inseparable.

Until now. Now they were separated by the greatest gulf there was: she no longer remembered him. It was like she'd died, and another person now inhabited her body.

Oh, she _acted_ the same, _responded_ the same as the "old" Tori had, but her memory loss made him a stranger to her. And for all his seemingly unlimited power, there was nothing he could do about it. "I…I mean…good. Ashley will…I mean…help her, be a good…influence on her…" He didn't really know how to proceed.

"Ben," said Lindsay softly, "don't do this to yourself. You aren't responsible for what's happened to her."

"I know that, Lindsay," he said, just as softly, "I just wish I could believe it."

….

"Ah. Earth, once again." The towering entity lifted his Mask of Envy to the cloudless sky. "I had truly thought I'd never see it again."

"Does it displease you, my Lord?" asked Albedo, looking about this, to her, new world. As usual, she was ready, willing, and able to lay waste to it, should her Lord and her love express the slightest wish that she should do so.

"No. I am surprised, however, that I did not find myself reincarnated into the physical form I wore here. Pleasantly surprised, of course, but surprise is surprise." The being known and feared in another world as Ainz Ooal Gown turned his grimacing Mask turned first one way, then another. "Tokyo. It has hardly changed since I knew it." The traffic rushed heedlessly past them, of course; this was Tokyo, and strangeness was usually ignored.

Usually.

"I sense great danger approaching. Albedo, we must learn more."

….

Then: Akkad VI: "I _am_ becoming rather tired of their incessant attacks," grumbled Ben. Rize clustered closer to him. Perhaps they had more in common than she'd originally thought.

"Then why do you tolerate them? You just finished saying you were the most powerful telekinetic in the universe. And I've seen you don't have to fear their weapons. Why even let them attack?"

"I _thought_ I was doing them a favor, that in time they'd come to see I wasn't the threat they thought I was. Then…"

"They're like the people of the Earth I come from: terrified of anything or anyone who's _different._ They…they're like, I don't know, lions, cowardly lions, who've locked themselves in a cage of their own making. Even if you opened the door for them, they wouldn't leave." She moved a bit closer to her, sat beside him on the small ledge by the stream. Although still a young girl, Rize was coming to realize that hers would be a path different from that of anyone else.

Perhaps a powerful friend…would help.

He struggled visibly, clenched fists up against his chest, seeming to wage a war within himself. Then, a strange gleam came into his eyes. "You," he whispered, "are _right_."

High orbit: the captain of the United Federation starship _Haila_ sat in his command chair, surveying the results of their latest campaign. They'd laid atomic waste to the entire planet; there hadn't been a single nook or cranny untouched by their nuclear fury. It was Akkad III all over again, even though that had been before his time. _Please, Deity, if you're out there, if you really exist, let this be all. And let it be the last time we have to do this._

"Uh, sir?" The nav officer's voice sounded hushed and awed simultaneously. No doubt he was just as affected. They all were. The destruction of a whole planet…just did something to people, no matter how necessary it had been.

"Status?"

"The planet's…gone, sir. I mean, the surface…it's radioactive slag. I don't think it'll ever support life again. Ever."

"Life signs?"

"None, sir. I, I don't see how…" He trailed off.

"Sir!" The science officer jerked up from his station. "PK meters just went off the chart!" He checked his instruments. "Uh…they just went offline, sir!"

Horrified, the captain watched as a single, intolerably bright spot of light blossomed on the surface of the ruined world. _But how? We gave it everything we had…_ "Helm, get us out of here! NOW!" The great ship began to turn. The spot of light was growing with inexorable, juggernaut-like speed. "Signal High Command! _Get us out of here!"_

 _To be continued…_


	2. Chapter 2: Intruder

Tokyo Destroyer, Chapter 2: Intruder

…..

 _Continuing a crossover of Tokyo Ghoul, Monster Musume, Parasyte, One Punch Man, Overlord, and maybe an old Popeye cartoon, if I feel like it. I don't own any of 'em, so what the heck. The more, the merrier!_

 _Read and Review!_

… _._

Tokyo Destroyer: Intruder

Earth, the Solar System, the Present Day: "Sir? We've got a confirmed visual." The young lieutenant's voice sounded shaky. "Sir, you need to see this."

"Onscreen." The picture flickered to life. "Holy God." There was a clear picture on the screen of what appeared to be a man, surrounded by a golden halo of light, flying towards the station. "That _can't_ be real. You've patched into some vid, somewhere."

"Sir, it's no vid. It's _real._ "

 _{{You will not keep me from my goal.}}_

"What th-? What was that? Did you hear that?" He looked around, thinking the reverberating voice had come over the speakers, even as his mind told him otherwise. The looks on the faces of the others, however, confirmed his worst suspicions. "Telepathy?" he muttered under his breath. But there was no such thing. Then, louder, "Who are you? _What_ are you?"

 _{{I am the God of Chaos, the Lord of Destruction.}}_

"Turn away. You are coming too close to our planet. If you do not withdraw, we will be forced to fire on you with nuclear weapons."

 _{{I am more highly evolved than you can imagine. You do not want to antagonize Me.}}_ The certainty, the Power in the Voice was unmistakable.

"Fire!" Corman's voice sounded desperate.

"Sir!"  
" _Fire everything!_ Don't hold back!" Something told him this was no time for half-way measures.

Every station let loose a flurry of nuclear missiles, all aimed at the target that had been identified. There were so many, it took hours to discharge them all. The stations had been designed for overkill, as it had been reasoned that resupplying them with more hammers would be less efficient. That would have taken time, time that, in the crisis they were designed for, they wouldn't have.

The hammers exploded upon coming into near-contact proximity with the oncoming intruder. They were designed to be man's ultimate weapon against space-borne threats. The lithium-hydride sheathings around the warheads slammed outward with a force sufficient to obliterate small moons.

They had absolutely no effect whatsoever.

…..

The train: "Yes, Touka, I'm on schedule. The train is about to pull into the station now. My cousin should be waiting for us; he had to pick up Saitama at the bus station. What? No, I don't believe Sai has a car. Last I heard, he was job hunting. I guess that's not-* What? Oh, yes, I have my medicine," referring to the human flesh he had chilled down in the cooler underneath his seat. Although he'd eaten just before leaving, still, sometimes ghoul physiology could be tricky. If he, for some reason, used more energy than usual, he'd become hungry sooner, just like a human. The difference was, when he became hungry, angered, or under stress in some way, his _kakugan,_ the black-sclera with red-pupiled eyes that characterized ghouls, became visible. That would have been…a bit awkward, to put it mildly. So he'd been careful to prepare for that eventuality. "Yes, it's right here. Yes, I'll be careful." He was still rehearsing his excuses for his odd eating habits with Kimihito and his guests. Even after all this time, he was still unsure of his ability to pretend to eat human food, at least, well enough to fool Kimihito's unusual houseguests. Sensitive stomach, special diet, etc., all of which were true, in their own way. He could probably get by with attending some, maybe even most meals. He'd just have to watch it, be more careful than usual, and, most importantly of all when pretending to eat human food, be very conscious of where the bathroom was. He'd have to purge himself of the human food, lest it begin to poison him. There was more talk coming over the phone. "Yes, Touka. Yes, I know. Look, the train's about to pull in. I'll call you later, when I get settled in, okay? Okay. Bye now." He tapped the "end call" button and sighed, shaking his head slightly.

"Girlfriend?" asked Shinichi, eyebrow raised in an amused fashion.

"Ah, no. I mean, she is a girl, and she is a friend, but, uh, girlfriend? No. I wouldn't call her that. Certainly not to her face." He shuddered slightly.

Shinichi smiled slightly. Kaneki's tone carried more information than he realized. As did the words coming over the phone. _Someone you care about. Someone who cares about you._ He was reminded of Satomi Murano back home.

Tokyo: the Anteiku café and coffee shop: Touka Kirishima shook her head in exasperation as she punched the "end call" button. _That idiot is going to get us all killed someday, I just know it._

"Trouble?" Mr. Yoshimura was just coming into the room.

"No," she sighed again. "Not yet, anyway."

"Touka, you worry too much about young Kaneki. The experiences he's had…he's changed a lot lately. I believe he'll do well."

"He's a fool. He rushes headlong into danger, confident of his ability to talk, fight, maneuver, or, or, sheer luck his way out of it." Another sigh. "He should never have gone on this insipid trip. He didn't need to go! I mean, to see a cousin he hasn't seen in years? _Why?_ What if this cousin notices something amiss about his behavior? If anyone would, it would be family. What of these 'liminals,' his cousin's houseguests? God only knows what sorts of senses they possess. What if they sense something odd about him? And if they do, how would he keep it from being traced back to those he's most closely associated with?" She turned away and began polishing the countertop with long, vicious strokes, her short, purple hair hanging over her face. "He should never have left."

Yoshimura smiled. Young people were more transparent than they realized, and he could see right through the mask Touka wore. Not the one she wore when hunting, either. "You do seem awfully concerned about him."

"I'm concerned about what he may do. He's a sheep among wolves; the CCG will gobble him up like, like…a child does…cake. He is certain nothing will happen to him, there in the 'safety'"—and Yoshimura could see the air quotes in the tone of her voice—"of his cousin's house, his cousin's city, when all it would take is the wrong word, a trace of a scent, _any_ thing. He's a fool." More vicious strokes. Yoshimura hope the countertop would hold up.

Yoshimura smiled all the more. Touka couldn't see him, but he could see her…all the way through her, through this facade of anger she was putting on, even when turned away. Just the tone of her voice spoke volumes. "What does the ancient Holy Book say? "But if you say, 'you fool,' you will be in danger of Hell fire?"

"Hell fire," she retorted, "would be preferable to the CCG."

…

Then: The empty space that used to be the Akkad system: Rize was shocked; there was nothing left of the planets or the star itself. Nothing at all. She hadn't expected anything quite like _this._ Had he converted the entire planet, maybe the entire system, into raw energy? "Uwa~! (*Wow)," was all she could manage. "Sugoi…" This last in a hushed whisper. She'd thought herself used to any amount of destruction, at least on a personal scale, but this…

They were standing, floating, in empty space. Quite by reflex, she caught his arm, drawing them closer together, there in the weightlessness of the void. "Ben," she breathed, still awed by the sheer amount of devastation she'd just witnessed. For perhaps the first time in her life, she felt a certain amount of fear…

…but then her own nature reasserted itself. This was better than she'd even dreamed. "Ben," she said in a hushed whisper that somehow carried in the airless void, "…you…did that?" It was still a little hard to believe.

"Yeah. Yeah, I did." His own voice was no louder than hers. As he turned to her, she saw that gleam hadn't left his eyes. If anything, it was _stronger._ "And it felt _so good…!"_

…..

Closing time at Anteiku: Hinami had just gone upstairs with Mr. Yoshimura. She was staying with a kindly couple not far from the café, and he and Touka would escort her there once she'd finished eating. The staff had already left for the day, and Touka was just then finishing up placing the cups and saucers back in their respective cabinets, when the bell over the doorway jingled, and a voice sounded behind her. "Touka Kirishima." Startled, she turned quickly. The voice hadn't sounded like anyone she knew.

She gasped. Standing in the doorway was a towering figure nearly as broad as it was tall. It was completely covered in various luxurious looking robes, with two huge protrusions jutting out from the shoulders. Its arms were not visible. But what drew her attention the most was the mask it wore.

That red mask was a fixed grimace of what appeared to be some strong emotion which she couldn't identify, but which seemed somehow familiar. It reminded her of the hunting masks some ghouls wore, masks designed to cover their whole faces. She wondered, somewhere in the back of her already alarmed mind, what this mask might be covering. "Who…?" Vaguely, she registered the figure at the side of the creature, what appeared to be an armored figure displaying a definite feminine curve, in spite of the obviously heavy armor it wore. "Who are you?"

"I am Ainz Ooal Gown. This," the mask inclined toward his companion, "is Albedo, my loyal servant. I would have words with you. Words of great importance to us both.

"And to continued life on this world."

…..

Orbit: The remains of the space stations, as well as the remains of those who'd manned them, continued to circle the world they'd failed to protect. The intruder was swiftly entering the upper atmosphere.

….

"Oh, Sai, I did mention to you about my other cousin, didn't I?"

"Yes. I don't believe I've ever met him. What's he like?"

"He's a pretty shy fellow, a student at the University of Tokyo. I-*"

"Kimihito! Over here!" A familiar voice made him turn. Then Kimihito gasped. "Kaneki! _What happened to your eye?"_

"What, this?" Ken Kaneki gestured to the patch on his face. "A laboratory accident. A chemical spill. The eye's still there, but I can't tolerate any light whatsoever on it. It's really…not all that big a thing." He seemed embarrassed.

"Oh…I didn't know. I'm sorry to hear that. Uh, who's your friend?" Kimihito looked at Shinichi, who'd followed Kaneki out, to the baggage reclamation center.

"Oh, yes, where are my manners. Kimihito, this is Shinichi Izumi. We met on the train. Shinichi, this is my cousin, Kimihito Kurusu."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Shinichi reached out and shook hands with Kimihito.

"And this must be our other cousin, Saitama?" observed Kaneki, again offering his hand to shake.

"Oh, yes. Sai, this is Ken Kaneki. Ken, this is Saitama. He's from City Z."

"My. It seems the family got around. City Z is a long way from here."

"A bit," replied Saitama, shaking Kaneki's hand. "My friends thought I could use a bit of a vacation. Life in City Z gets a bit…hectic, sometimes."

"Mine, also." _Although probably for different reasons._

 _And just what's with that get-up he's wearing, anyway?_

But Kimihito was looking at Shinichi, who was looking around for his luggage, and checking his watch. "Shinichi? I gather you're from a ways off, too."

"Not all that far; a suburb of Tokyo. Been a bit of a trip, though. I'm glad it's over." He spoke absentmindedly, still looking around for his luggage.

"Do you have somewhere to stay?"

"Hm? Oh, well, no. I mean, I haven't made any reservations. But it shouldn't be hard to find accommodations."

"How about you join us? I've got plenty of room. It'll save you a hotel bill."

"Oh, no, I couldn't! I wouldn't dream of imposing on you…"

"You're so not imposing! Believe me, I've got rooms going to waste."

"I don't know…" The young man was clearly discomfited at the notion.

"Come on. Any friend of Ken's is a friend of mine. But, I have to warn you: I'm currently hosting a number of liminals. Do you know what those are?"

"You mean the monster girls I keep hearing about? Yes, I've heard of them, but never encountered any. What are they like?"

Kimihito grinned. "Come and see."

….

The golden-shrouded figure swept over the city. _Where are you, Rize?_ He telepathically scanned every brainwave in the city, his vastly evolved mind sorting and processing all the data effortlessly.

"… _got to make sure to get…"_

"… _that whore isn't gonna ruin_ _my_ _life…"_

"… _boss is gonna kill me…"_

"… _ten to the twentieth power…"_

"… _asshole got my parking spot…"_

"… _hey, watch where you're fucking going!"_

"… _got to have all these reports in by Friday…"_

"… _father…"_ His ears perked up. He zeroed in on the mental "voice." It sounded very familiar…

"… _father, it's dark and scary outside!"_

 _There you are._

….

Kuroko Smith was rudely awakened from a perfectly good nap by her desk phone chiming incessantly. _I don't get paid enough for this._ For a moment, she was tempted to let the answering machine take it, but then decided against it. "Hello?"

" _Agent Smith. This is General Visor with the Earth Defense Forces. I'm calling to let you know we're on a state of high alert. I'm not at liberty to say what it's about, but…_

"… _as of now, you and all your resources, including your MON team, are part of the EDF."_ Something about his voice sent a chill down Kuroko Smith's spine.

…

Anteiku: "But, but who are you? And what do you want with me?" Touka was feeling intimidated by the tall figure. He'd walked into the coffee shop, and…the door frame had just seemed to _expand_ somehow, to accommodate him, without actually changing its dimensions. He hadn't had to stoop or bend. _Somehow, I don't think he's here for coffee,_ thought Touka. Mr. Yoshimura had stepped out, and Touka was feeling very vulnerable, standing before two individuals of obvious power and unknown intent.

"I have told you. I am Ainz Ooal Gown. And I am here because I sense a confluence of energies about this place…and…" and here, the grimacing mask seemed to stare right through her soul, "…about one who is not here, but who is nonetheless to be a major part in the upcoming events. He will be, he is, in great danger.

"Tell me of this Ken Kaneki. Where is he now?"

…..

"Ah, yes, about that, Kimihito. I…seem to've developed this rare condition, the result of my accident. It often messes with my appetite. There could be times when I may not be able to join you and your guests for meals." After all, though Kaneki, it was the truth. Sort of. _Damn you, Rize._

And yet, being a ghoul had opened doors to him, doors to a previously unseen world of both terror and wonder. At one time, he would have done anything to return to his "normal" human state. Now…

And it had allowed him to meet…

"Hey, that's perfectly alright. From the way you've described your accident, you're lucky to be here at all. I fully understand. But, if you can, if you're feeling up to it, mealtimes are at five thirty. I've found that works best for everybody, since some of my houseguests are at least partially nocturnal, and they're just about ready to get up then. So, hey, just whatever you can do." But even as he spoke, Kimihito was bothered by a sense he was getting from his cousin, a sense that something was a little off.

Ah, but it was probably nothing. After all, it had been a long time.

"Thank you, Kimihito."

"Good. Now, let's go meet my guests." He pulled into the driveway, parking the car in the garage, a garage that had been especially enlarged to accommodate some of his guests and their special needs.

"Uh, Mr. Kurusu? Could-*"

"Oh, please, Shinichi. Call me Kimihito. Somebody calls me 'Mr. Kurusu,' I think I'm in trouble or something." _In fact, the only one who calls me that, these days, is-*_

"Thank you. It's just, my cell is buzzing, and I need to take this call in private. Would it be okay if I stayed in the car for just a moment? I'll be in as fast as I can."

"Certainly."

Once Shinichi was alone, he raised his right arm to his ear. To any casual observer, it would have seemed as though he were simply taking an ordinary cell call. However, the more astute observer might have noticed that he had no phone in his hand. What he did have, in the palm of his hand, was an eye and a mouth, opening in the middle of the skin of his palm. "Okay, what is it?"

" _Just so you know: there's something odd about your new friend, this Ken Kaneki. When I shook hands with him, I noticed something…off about him. About his blood."_

"You didn't take his blood, did you?" Shinichi asked of Migi, the alien organism that had taken up residence in his body, specifically, his right arm.

" _Nothing so primitive as that. I simply sensed something a bit odd, there beneath the skin. He's more than he appears to be. And you've heard of this Saitama."_

"No…should I have?"

" _You take our survival far too lightly. I have heard of him. He is known, in the city where he comes from, as an unbeatable foe."_

"Oh, come now. Nobody's _that_ strong. Especially not _him._ " That slight form, that dead-eyed look?

" _From the reports I've scanned, he appears to be exactly that. Fortunately, he only appears to act on behalf of humans who are being threatened, so he should be only a minimal threat to us. But a threat is still a threat, and this 'Kaneki' is a complete unknown. You'd do well to be on your guard…against them both._

" _And one other thing: though I've no hard data to back it up, I also get what you humans call a 'strange vibe' from your friend's cousin. I get the distinct impression there's more to him than meets the optical sensors, as well._

" _I believe I can shield us from Kimihito's houseguests' senses, but it would not do to drop our guard around any of them."_

"So noted and logged. I don't think we'll have any problems here; we're a long way from…all that happened. And all that's over with, anyway." He paused, aware that he couldn't take too long with this unnatural conversation. The longer he did so, the more probable discovery became. "Do…do you think I should give Satomi a call?"

" _How should I know? Your human relationships puzzle_ _you_ _, let alone me."_ But then the alien gave out a most human sounding sigh. _"Yes, give her a call as soon as you can."_ Migi knew, from long association, that this was the answer his human host was looking for, anyway.

"Thanks, Migi. I don't know what I'd do without you."

" _Die, most likely."_ But Shinichi didn't hear that part, being intent on getting in to meet Kimihito's _unusual_ houseguests. He was both excited and nervous…but in a good way.

….

A universe away: _"Ben? Something you might need to see."_ Dr. McLemore's voice sounded out over empty space.

"Certainly, doctor. I'll be right there." Lindsay coughed, for effect. "Uh, make that _we'll_ be right there." And she followed him down the corridor to Dr. McLemore's lab.

When they'd found themselves transplanted into this new universe, Ben and Lindsay had, at first, thought they were the only ones. Then, they were able to locate Ashley. Then, Dr. Susan McLemore, their staunchest ally and scientific brain, had turned up, with Tori in tow. How she'd found them, even she didn't know. But Ben reflected that it was a good thing she had; she and Tori hadn't been the only transplants.

Very unfortunately, there had been one other: Dr. Emil Jeroux, who'd claimed to've created Ben and Lindsay as experiments in forced evolution. That had been both bane and blessing, as it turned out. Not necessarily in that order. "Yes, doctor?" he asked, rounding the corner, with Lindsay in tow. He was hoping against hope she'd made some breakthrough in unraveling the mystery as to why Tori's memory loss wasn't getting any better.

The heavyset scientific genius stood in front of a huge monitor screen. On it was displayed a complex diagram indicating the various universes, the "membranes," that lay, side by side against each other, in hypertime, like pages in a book. In theory, none should ever intersect, and neither information nor objects could ever travel from one to the other. But they'd all seen that this wasn't so. "It's this. You remember, before your last battle with Chaos, you needed me to come up with some way of locating him, of giving us some sort of heads-up?"

"Yeah…" He really didn't like the way this conversation was going.

"Well, I did, as you both know. However…it's picking up a node of activity from a universe close by."

"I suppose it couldn't possibly be some anomalous energy spike, huh?"

"The odds are against it, Ben. This is the same equipment we've used to track Chaos in the past. It worked then. I'm pretty sure it's working now."

"So it's _not_ over. _Damn!_ " Ben clenched his fists. "That bastard…!"

"Ben." Lindsay came up and touched his elbow. "Calm yourself. You know what happens when you lose your temper. Save that energy, _channel_ that energy.

"Because it looks like we're going to need it. Again."

…..

Then: Rize was becoming a little concerned.

World after world had fallen to the might of the destroyer, her new friend(?). At first, she'd reveled in the destruction; if anything would rattle the humans' cages, certainly _this_ would!

But Ben seemed to delight in just blowing up planet after planet. There didn't seem to be any limit to what he could do. How was this possible? Even, even assuming telekinesis was a real thing (and she guessed it just about had to be, given the evidence), still, all that energy had to come from _somewhere_ , didn't it? So where was his coming from?

He'd begun with the outlying worlds of this Federation he'd spoken of, then moving inwards, giving them ample time to marshal their forces. It hadn't done them any good whatsoever. He'd easily blasted his way past them…and turned their worlds into ash and rubble. Even whole stars…more than once, she'd clung to his arm, closing her eyes as the blast wave of a supernova swept around them, annihilating everything in its path…except them.

"You know something, Rize? I'm glad I met you. I had no idea how, how _confining_ my own notions of right and wrong were, what they were doing to me." The two were moving through empty space, with Rize, as always, hanging onto his arm. She still hadn't figured out how it was that they were able to breath.

Come to think of it, _was_ she breathing?

"I'm glad I met you, too, Ben," she said, with complete honesty. "But…something I've been meaning to mention: you know I'm a ghoul. I'll need food, soon."

"Oh, _that's_ no problem. Just let me get to the next inhabited world…"

"But Ben, do the people here, wherever we are…are they even human? Or at least human enough to sustain me? I mean, I couldn't smell you at all. If they're anything like you, their flesh might not sustain me."

"Not a problem. If they're not, for some reason, I'll just rearrange their molecules so they _are._ " His smile was cruel. "Who knows? If they're polite and respectful, I might even allow them the mercy of death first." He seemed to think. "Or not, as the case may be."

Rize shivered slightly, though the apparent ambient temperature had not changed.

…

Now: Tokyo: Anteiku: "Why do you want to know about Kaneki?" Touka had backed up as far up against the far wall as she could, being careful to keep the countertop between her and her unexpected guests. Her back tingled strongly; her ghoul reflexes trying to deploy her _kagune_. But she restrained herself; this could be a CCG trick. Get her to reveal herself as a ghoul, and out would come the _quinque._ She couldn't allow that, not here. It was worth her life to keep Anteiku's secret safe.

"He, among others, form a focal point. A great Power is approaching. Survival of its coming…is not assured.

"Now. I must know." And with that, the giant's red-lit eyesockets fixed on her, and Touka felt something begin to stir in her mind, like a searchlight shining first one way, then another. It wasn't painful, but she groaned and pressed her hands up against the sides of her head…

….

Then: Rize took her time in the shower, which functioned pretty much like any other one she'd ever known, although the controls were a little confusing. She was very careful to wash all the blood and bits of flesh off of her, not that blood bothered her-in fact, it aroused her—but because it got one all sticky.

Ben had been more than helpful, landing the two of them on the outskirts of a small village similar, he'd said, to the ones on the destroyed planet they'd first met upon. It was nighttime there, and it wasn't long before Rize had fully satiated herself. The ones left alive were leaving the area as fast as they could, by any means or route they could. They had nothing that could stand up against her. Which is probably why he'd chosen this world.

That was…thoughtful…?...of him…?

The food here had proved to be not only delectable, but evidently extremely nutritious. She could feel her ghoul metabolism shifting into overdrive, the way it always did when she ate more than she needed. _Perhaps I'll make that my personal life style._ Idly, she wondered what Ben's flesh would taste like, when it occurred to her: the very fact that he was invulnerable to her had made all this possible. Had she simply eaten him when they first met, she'd undoubtedly be dead by now. Dead because of the Federation's missiles, or some other reason. She doubted she could have stood alone against any people who could build starships and nuke whole planets.

 _Perhaps it was Fate,_ she thought, as she rinsed her long, lustrous hair. She stepped, naked, out of the shower, grabbing a towel from a nearby rack, drying herself. _It must be Fate that we met._

 _Fate…or another Power at work._

She wrapped the towel around herself, her own garments having been pretty much ruined due to her feast. That was the only problem with the prey: they tended to spray blood in all directions when she tried to feed. There really wasn't a great deal she could do about that. _Note to self,_ she thought, _next time, eat in the nude._ No point in ruining another perfectly good outfit.

Besides. It'd be more…stimulating that way.

Still wrapped in her towel, she made her way into the living room of the house whose previous occupants were no longer in any shape to complain. Ben was sitting on a low couch, flipping through a magazine, an actual hardcopy magazine such as she'd seen back on Earth, what seemed like a lifetime ago. He'd explained that not all worlds were able to support the infrastructure of e-readers or internets. "How do you feel?" he asked as she approached.

"Wonderful. I haven't eaten like that in…well, I've never eaten that well before." She came over and, abruptly, and to his evident surprise, sat in his lap. She toyed with the notion of letting the towel slip, just a bit, but decided against it. It would be a bit of blow to her ego if he proved to be immune to _that,_ too. However… "I've a favor to ask."

"Ask."

She wrapped her arms around his head, pulling them both closer. "Kiss me."

"Huh?" His surprise seemed genuine. Was she able to keep certain secrets from him? "Why?"

"Because," she said, nuzzling his ear, "I've always wanted to see what it feels like to be kissed by a god."

…..

Now: Kaneki suddenly looked up from the dinner table. "Touka," he whispered. "You'll have to excuse me," he said to the rest, rising from his seat, "I promised my friend I'd call her at this time, and I don't like to think about what she'll do to me if I miss it. So may I be excused?" He had to leave anyway, as the conversation around the table was dragging out the meal, and he could feel the human food beginning to make him sick. Still, it was fascinating, being around all these liminals. Even though it wasn't the same, he felt a certain kinship with them; until recently, they'd been persecuted for being "different." He could relate to that.

"Oh, that's alright, Mr. Kaneki!" said Papi. "But don't forget, you promised to play with me later!"

He smiled. The harpy reminded him, in a way, of Hinami, even though they were nothing alike. Hinami was growing up to become a very serious, almost grim, young girl, while Papi was the very embodiment of the word "happy." _Perhaps she's what Hinami would have been like if…things…had been different._

 _If only her mother…_ "Of course, Papi, but it may be a while. Let me make this call, okay?"

"Okay." She turned to Saitama, sitting next to her. " _You'll_ play with me, won't you, Mr. Saitama?"

"Uh, well, sure. What do you want to play?"

"Fly and go seek!"

"Alright, people," said Kimihito, "I think we're through here. Miia, Cerea? Would you help me put the dishes in the dishwasher?" They had an extra capacity dishwasher, due to the sheer number of liminals living here.

But he noticed Rachnee's gaze, a gaze that followed Ken Kaneki's retreating form. A suspicious gaze.

In the restroom: Kaneki was so worried that he hadn't yet purged himself of the poisonous human food. "Come on, Touka, pick up, pick up…"

There was a click, and he heard a voice coming over the line. It wasn't Touka's voice, but that of Mr. Yoshimura, proprietor of Anteiku. _"Ken?"_

"Mr. Yoshimura…" Where to begin? Just the fact that he'd answered Touka's phone all but confirmed Kaneki's worst fears. "Where's Touka?"

" _She's alright. We had—make that have—a most unusual visitor. Look, let me call you back later. Or, better still, I'll have Touka call you back, alright? But right now, I have to go."_

"Uhm, alright, sir…uhm…she _is_ alright, isn't she?" The notion that she might be harmed, in some way, worried him. Worried him more than he really thought it should.

" _She's fine. Just a little shaken up, that's all. But she's fine."_

"How shaken up?" What could possibly shake _Touka Kirishima,_ of all people, up? "Should I come back?" _Is it the CCG?_ Every ghoul's nightmare…

" _No, no, no. She's fine. I'll have to tell you all about it lat-*"_ But Yoshimura's words were lost in a deluge of static.

….

A universe away: Ben suddenly staggered, his hand going to his head. "Ben, what is it?" Lindsay was already at his side, helping steady him.

"It's him, Lindsay. It's Chaos. He's about to do something horrible."

 _To be continued…_


	3. Chapter 3: Annihilation

Tokyo Destroyer: Chapter 3: Annihilation

…..

 _I don't own the anime characters mentioned, but the OC's, of course, are mine._

…

Chapter 3: Annihilation

Tokyo, earlier: The flying figure zeroed in on his target, and descended. It was as if a continuous nuclear explosion had descended upon the city: buildings flattened outward, and the very ground caved in beneath the Destroyer.

In his dwelling, Renji Yomo had just finished feeding Rize her meal for the month when he felt something approaching. A palpable force was descending from the sky.

The metal roof over his head gave way, and a glowing figure dropped down through it. _"Renji Yomo,_ " it said, in a voice that was more sensed than heard, _"I have come for her."_

For all his self-control, Yomo found himself sweating. "I…you mean Rize?" But the being ignored him and made straight for the holding area where Rize was. Yomo followed, even though he knew, on a level he'd never understand, that there was nothing he could do about anything. _I should be getting out of here. But where to?_ "She's-*"

" _I know where she is."_ The walls and door dissolved, to reveal Rize, bound in chains and a straightjacket. She looked nothing like the girl he'd known.

With a thought, he exploded both the chains and the jacket, moving over to her. _"_ Oh, Rize. What have they done to you."

"Father? _Father?_ Is that you?" Her blind eyes turned first one way, then the other.

He went over and gathered her up. She was so weak… "You." He turned to Yomo, his eyes narrowing. _"_ You tried to help her in the only way you knew. So I'll let you live. But first, you're going to tell me who is responsible for this."

"Don't you know?" The sheer aura of _power_ around this being was turning his legs to jelly.

"I know. But you're still going to **tell me.** " And Yomo felt something invade his mind, his very soul….

He fell to his knees, trying to maintain consciousness. The… _discomfort_ went beyond any pain he'd ever felt or even imagined. He was no longer in command of his own body. "Kanou," his body said, "Akihiro Kanou."

"Thank you _,_ " said the Being, still holding a raving Rize. "Enjoy your continued life _."_ And with that, he shot up through the roof, heading for the stars above, leaving a convulsing Yomo trying desperately to throw up, even though there was nothing in his stomach.

Anteiku: Yoshimura was helping a still groggy Touka into a sitting position. "Here," he said, holding up a cup of steaming hot coffee, "drink this. You'll feel better." He'd added a couple of the ghouls' "special supplements" to the coffee; it would bring her around more quickly.

"What…where…" But she eagerly sipped on the coffee, allowing it to restore her normal vital functions. "That, that man! Or, or whatever he was! He-*"

"Is still here. In fact, he might be the only reason _we're_ still here." And Touka looked up.

The creature with the Mask was gazing out the window. Touka remembered: something coming crashing down towards midtown, buildings falling…and the stranger speaking a word in a language that made her head hurt just to hear it…

And Anteiku had somehow survived. "But what was it? A bomb?"

"No," said the stranger going by the name of Ainz Ooal Gown. "Something much worse."

"But what was it?"

"Death."

…..

Kaneki was beside himself. He couldn't stop pacing. Was Touka alright? Or not? Yoshimura hadn't exactly been forthcoming with the details…

In his room, Shinichi was also concerned. He'd tried calling Satomi several times, only to be told that "All circuits are busy. Please try again later." _Damn robots._ Persistence paid off, however; he finally got through. "Satomi! What's going on? Are you alright?"

" _Y-yes, Shinichi. It…I don't know what it was, but everybody's calling it a bomb. But, but the downtown area is leveled, and the authorities have called out the JDF. It seems like nobody can agree on just what it was, but it hit downtown pretty hard."_

"But are _you_ alright?"

" _Yes, I'm fine. Whatever it was seemed highly localized. I wasn't near the epicenter."_ There was a pause, while it seemed to him as though she shifted into a better position to talk. Then, _"How are you doing? Did you find a good motel?"_

"Better. I'm staying at a friend's cousin's house. And I've met some liminals! They're fascinating, Satomi."

" _Hm. I hear those liminal girls can be pretty hot. I've seen ANM48 on TV. You're not gonna go making me jealous, are you?"_ He could tell she was trying to distract him from worrying about her.

He laughed. "Oh, no. It's, uh, not quite that way here. Besides. I'm a guest. It would be improper to...well, you know."

" _Yes, well, see that you mind your manners. And, also, take some time to just relax. After all we've both been through, you've earned it."_

"Thank you, Satomi. I will. And yes, I'll keep away from the hot liminal girls. A…certain person was warning me of pretty much the same thing, albeit for different reasons." It went without saying that he was referring to Migi, whom she knew about. But there was no point in risking discovery. They both knew that true privacy was a thing of the past, anyway.

" _Alright. Goodbye now. Check in later, okay?"_

"Of course. Bye." He hung up the phone.

"So," said a voice behind him. He whirled around, to see Rachnera clinging to the ceiling only a few feet away. How long had she been there? How had she gotten _in,_ even? "Girlfriend?"

"Do you normally spy on someone's private conversations?"

"Every chance I get. But understand one thing: I'm sensing something different about both you and Kaneki. Something you haven't shared with the rest of us. I know," she said, raising a hand to forestall his protests, "that you may have the best of reasons for not sharing it. The only thing I'm concerned about is whether or not it may pose a threat to Kimihito, or others in this household. I've become rather fond of them all. Now, I really couldn't care less what you say to your friends, girls or otherwise. I _do_ care about potential threats to my new family.

"And believe me, no matter who or what you are, you don't want me for an enemy."

…..

Later: the incident in Tokyo was on all the news channels. "But, darling, what could it have been?" She was sitting beside him on the couch in the living room. All of Kimihito's guests were altogether too aware of the anti-liminal groups extant in Japan, and possibly abroad. Could this be their handiwork? "Could...could it be those groups, those terrorists, Smith-san warned us about?"

"I don't think so," he responded. They'd gathered in the main sitting room, with Kimihito ready to stream in a movie for them to watch. Votes on which one were still being tallied. "It doesn't seem like something they'd do." On the other hand, he asked himself, just what _would_ they do? How far would they go? "But," he continued, in a worried tone of voice, "that doesn't mean they won't try to capitalize on it."

…

Kuroko Smith had just come from a very… _scary_ …meeting with the upper echelons. They hadn't been as forthcoming with the details as she would have liked, but that alone told her more than they thought.

Something—not a bomb—had flattened downtown Tokyo. Rumors were it had come from space. Invasion by aliens? That made the most sense.

 _Item:_ The Powers That Be were heavily implying that something—possibly some _one_ —from space had laid waste to one of the largest cities on the face of the Earth.

 _Item:_ She, along with others working alongside the Interspecies Cultural Exchange Division, had identified something distinctly unearthly in at least _one_ specimen of humanity…

 _Kimihito Kurusu._

Could it be that that "something unearthly" was back?

For…what?

Kuroko Smith was, at the bottom of it, a rather lazy worker. But some things she took very seriously indeed. One of those was surviving.

What happened in Tokyo could easily happen here. And there was apparently no defense against it.

Then she smiled, thinking. There was no defense against it _yet._

…

Outside the Kurusu household: Papi was having the time of her young life.

Mr. Saitama was proving to be a _fantastic_ play partner. He moved so fast she couldn't even follow him with her eyes. And he seemed to be able to find her, nine times out of ten. She really didn't care, however; what mattered was the game, not the winning of it.

Finally, even her reserves of energy were exhausted, and she sat on a low limb, with him sitting beside her. The lights from the house and street, along with the yard's lights, lit the area up almost as bright as day. "Wow. You're good!"

He smiled a self-deprecating smile. "I've had some practice. But you're good, too."

"You're _better!_ " she laughed, wishing she had a bottle of water. But the water had to be kept under lock and key, since otherwise Suu might get into it and get drunk, again. Or, in its own way, worse: one of them (especially one that had wings instead of hands) might spill one on herself, and Suu would…take it upon herself to…dry that person off. In her own _extremely_ intimate and embarrassing way.

But Saitama was looking around. What for? Then, faster than her eyes could follow, he reached out and grabbed at a patch of air just behind her. What? Why did he-?

Then she heard the report of the gun, just then reaching them.

…..

Kimihito, Miia, Cerea and the others were just then getting everything cleaned up when Saitama came back in, supporting a shaking Papi on his arm. "Now, now, Papi, it's alright, you're okay…" He was making soothing sounds; why?

"Sai? What's wrong? Don't tell me she lost _that_ bad."

"Nothing like that. Someone tried to kill her." And he showed them the bullet in his hand. "I grabbed it before it could hit, but, well, she's a bit shaken up."

" _Kill_ her? But what…I mean, _what happened_?" And both Kimihito and Miia gathered around the harpy, there on the couch, and held her.

"Who?" asked Rachnera in a dangerous tone of voice. "Who did this?" But she was interrupted by the crash of the door being slammed open.

"Surprise, darling-kun!" Ms. Smith led a group of renovators in. They immediately fanned out and began taking the walls apart. "Your house is getting an upgrade, courtesy of the Interspecies Cultural Exchange Division AND the EDF." Without a word, the renovators began installing what looked like heavy steel panels in the walls and ceiling. A couple were looking seriously at the floor.

"What! Ms. Smith! This is so _not_ a good time!" He and Miia were still trying to console a distraught Papi.

"What's wrong with her?"

"Someone tried to kill her, that's what! And now…"

"Oh? I was afraid of this." She took a deep breath, looking around at the workmen, who were actually working pretty rapidly. Kimihito could attest they'd had enough practice, but even so... "The…whateverthehellitwas…that took place in Tokyo. The rumor mill has it that some liminal groups have claimed responsibility." She saw their shocked looks. "Oh, _I_ know that no liminal group is behind this. The only 'liminal group' there is, would be the orcs' PORK, and they don't have enough brains to knock over a bookstore, let alone plan and execute something like this. But evidently, _some_ body wants people to _believe_ they are. And," she gestured at Papi, "it looks like somebody did. So…we'd best take precautions." She inclined her head to the workers around her. "Fortunately for us all, I now have access to the, ah, appropriate departments—with appropriate resources-for just such improvements on your house."

"Why didn't you renovate your offices?"

Smith shrugged. "Too much paperwork." She looked around at the other liminals. "Anyway, we need to move fast, and this…" she gestured towards Papi, who still hadn't stopped shaking, "appears to be where it's needed the most, anyway." She paused, as though trying to remember something. Then, "Oh, and one other thing." She half-turned to the doorway, which the workmen had already enlarged. The MON team was just then coming through it, Manako and Zombina bringing their guns, Tionishia bringing her armor, with Doppel, as usual, bringing her butt naked self. Shinichi's eyes grew wide at the sight. His right arm let out a very human-sounding exasperated sigh as Migi rolled the only eye he had manifested. Nobody noticed it. "We'll be crashing here with you for the duration. You don't mind, do you, darling-kun?" Without waiting for an answer, she turned to the team. "Go get settled in, girls. We may be here a while."

Shinichi looked at Kimihito. He'd come over and sat by the three of them on the couch. "Interesting life you live, Kimihito."

"You don't know the half of it. Say…where's Kaneki?"

Upstairs, in his room, Kaneki opened a secret compartment in his suitcase and took out a very personal item, one he always traveled with for circumstances like this. It was a mask, designed to cover half his face, with razor-sharp fangs displayed in the front. He put it on, snapping and zipping it shut so that only his left eye was visible. Had anyone been present, they would have seen a subtle change come over him, something not easily defined. A change in his stance, in what little facial expression one could see. If they'd been able to see behind the mask, they would have seen that his facial expression mirrored that of the mask.

Some masks hide what we are. Some reveal it.

So someone sought to hurt Papi-chan? Perhaps that someone could use a lesson in manners.

The sound of a window opening occurred two seconds later.

…..

Space, high above Tokyo: the Destroyer paused, still carrying Rize. "Hang in there, Rize. I'll heal you, body and mind. Then, you can come back and do what you want with those who've mistreated you so." Then he paused, thinking. "You know what? On second thought, screw it."

He turned, facing the unsuspecting world below him. An impossibly bright beam of energy, brighter than ten noonday suns, shot from his brow down to the ground just outside of Tokyo. The reaction was instantaneous: a colossal blast of light and fire opened up the ground, swallowing up the entire continent of Japan. The reaction traveled outward, spreading over China, driving the sea eastward like a live thing trying to escape destruction, with enormous cracks, large enough to swallow small continents, opening up beneath it. The planet itself split apart like an orange beneath a hammer, titan waves of the molten core expanding outward almost majestically into the pitiless void of space.

Soundlessly, a hole opened in empty space, and he flew into it, carrying the last surviving representative of life on the ever-growing asteroid cloud that was once a planet.

… _?_


	4. Chapter 4: Vengeance

Tokyo Destroyer: Chapter 4: Vengeance

…

 _Don't own. Besides, I'm having too much fun with things as they are._

… _.._

Chapter 4: Vengeance

 _What has gone before:_ Space, high above Tokyo: the Destroyer paused, still carrying Rize. "Hang in there, Rize. I'll heal you, body and mind. Then, you can come back and do what you want with those who've mistreated you so." Then he paused, thinking. "You know what? On second thought, screw it."

He turned, facing the unsuspecting world below him. An impossibly bright beam of energy, brighter than ten noonday suns, shot from his brow down to the ground just outside of Tokyo. The reaction was immediate: a colossal blast of light and fire opened up the ground, swallowing up the entire continent of Japan. The reaction traveled outward, spreading over China, driving the sea eastward like a live thing trying to escape destruction, with enormous cracks, large enough to swallow small continents, opening up beneath it. The planet itself split apart like an orange beneath a hammer, titan waves of the molten core expanding outward almost majestically into the pitiless void of space.

Soundlessly, a hole opened in empty space, and he flew into it, carrying the last surviving representative of life on the ever-growing asteroid cloud that was once a planet.

….

 _Three hours earlier:_ The ghoul known to the Tokyo CCG and others as Eyepatch flew through the alleys and across the rooftops of the darkened city, always being sure to keep to the shadows, moving as swiftly and silently as a great cat. He ran effortlessly at a speed marathon sprinters could only dream about. Those humans still out saw only the briefest of glimpses of a shadow—just a shadow—there in an alley, or on top of a building, which was immediately gone. Every single one of them attributed it to some strange quirk of their imagination.

The shot had to have been fired from no greater than five hundred yards away, depending upon its caliber, design, and initial velocity, in order to still be traveling faster than the sound of its passing. That was a long distance, true. But it would have to be more or less in the line of sight for anyone to get Papi in their sights, without having to compensate for the bullet's trajectory to the point where a hit was not guaranteed. Say, no more than one hundred to one hundred fifty yards away, max. He'd already triangulated the general direction it had to have come from. Idly, some small part of him wondered if Saitama had seen the glint off the riflescope—which was likely-, or if he'd had some sort of premonition of danger, but he immediately dismissed the matter as irrelevant. What mattered was the hunt.

He followed the smell of gunpowder to a modest dwelling on the edge of town.

Within, its owner sat admiring his rifle, a nice, new Winchester .308. It had certainly done the job. That'd show those goddamned monsters! Think they can just come in here and take ov-*

Suddenly, without warning, every light in the house went out. "What…?" He knew he'd paid the bill for this month.

Something moved in the darkness, something he could see only as a darker patch of shadow. "W-who's there? S-stay back! I'm armed!"

"Yes, you are," said a voice that was little more than a whisper. "A Winchester XPC; excellent rifle. You haven't unloaded it yet, have you? No? Good. I'd hate to put you to any more trouble." More movement, and the man could see, by the small amount of light from the window, a serpentine movement in the air near the ceiling. Was it one of those damn liminals, coming to try their luck? Well, they were in for a surprise. He leveled the gun in the general direction of the voice. "Don't come any closer. I'll shoot!"

"If you wish." And the figure moved out into the light.

The man gasped. It was the figure of a man, apparently human, wearing a black leather jacket with matching hood, which was pulled up over its head. But what really got his attention was the mask—and the sole eye it revealed.

It was a red-pupiled _kakugan_. His intruder was a ghoul, a monster that ate human flesh. "You tried to hurt a friend of mine." The monster's _kagune_ floated lazily, with unnatural grace, in the air behind and around it.

The barrel of the gun shook unsteadily. He knew ordinary weapons had no effect on these things. If a ghoul was here, no matter why, confronting a human, there could only be one reason. "You know your weapon won't hurt me." The mask tilted, slightly, as though the wearer had just thought of something. "Though it _can_ still do _you_ some good."

Shortly thereafter, the man's neighbors were awakened by the sound of a single shot. When the authorities arrived, they would find nothing all that unusual; just another suicide, one of many.

 _Two hours and 54 minutes earlier:_ Tokyo: Touka was just regaining her full faculties, as she and Mr. Yoshimura turned their attention towards their…guests? "But what _was_ that?" asked Yoshimura. Touka admired his calm. Even without having the stranger invade her mind, there was something frightening about him. And Touka Kirishima didn't scare easily.

"A powerful entity has come to your world." The figure hadn't moved from the window, its strange Mask still turned upwards, as though seeking something in the night sky overhead. "It has claimed what it sought, and left. But the danger is not gone." The figure turned to them. "It is fortunate for you all that I decided to visit this world when I did.

"But we may all still die."

 _Two hours and 50 minutes earlier:_ Kaneki paused in an alleyway on his way back to his cousin's. He'd probably have to "recharge" (eat, in other words) once he got back, but right now, he had more important matters to attend to. Out came his cell.

Miles away: Touka's cell rang. Mr. Yoshimura was still holding it. He gave it back to her with a knowing smile. He didn't have to glance at the caller ID to know who it was. _"Touka?"_

"Kaneki? Wh-*"

" _Are you alright?"_

"Y-yes, Ken. I'm fine." _Why would you be worried about that?_ "Are _you_ alright?"

" _Yes, I'm fine."_ (Why would she be worried about him?) " _Look. Whatever happened, it seems to've struck Tokyo pretty hard. I want you and Mr. Yoshimura, and any of the others you can get, to come here. They're turning this place into a goddamned fortress. If this_ _is_ _a nuclear attack, this is the place to be. And,"_ he thought, _"bring some more 'medicine.' For us all. This could easily be a long-haul situation."_

"Now, look, there's no way I'm gonna pick up and scamper over there just because you say so-*"

" _Oh, yes, you are, if I have to come back there and physically drag you here myself. Bring Yoshimura-san, and bring Hinami, too. That's the last place she needs to be right now."_

She bridled. What was with this tone? And from him? "I don't take ord-*"

" _There's no time for this. I don't care how you do it, but get your sweet ass over here ASAP."_ And he punched the "end call" button on his phone, leaving a speechless Touka staring, open mouthed, at her phone, in shock.

Later, Kaneki would have no memory of what he'd just said.

…

 _Two hours and 27 minutes earlier:_ Saitama was assisting the workers in the remodeling of the Kurusu residence. Moving so fast as to be nearly invisible, he'd nearly completed most of the improvements. At one point in its turbulent history, the Kurusu residence had been redesigned to be modular, since Ms. Smith had discovered such a pushover in Kimihito and intended to shoehorn liminals into his house until the rafters burst. (After all, the necessary paperwork had already been filed. Kimihito was unaware of it, but one of the forms he'd signed earlier had had a piece of "smart capture" paper strategically placed just below it. So…that, combined with computerized image capture and enhancement made things even easier.) Those modifications were now making it possible for Saitama and the workers to remove paneling, expand rooms, and, Kimihito noticed, most significantly, install large, thick panels of what looked like some sort of heavy, black ceramic or steel sheathing, several inches thick. They looked capable of withstanding anything this side of a direct nuclear hit.

Kimihito and the others had convened by Mero's pool, one of the few areas _not_ under construction. "Wow," breathed Shinichi. "Your workers sure work fast."

"They don't get paid overtime." But even as he spoke, he looked up at the workers and frowned slightly. What exactly was Smith-san expecting? A direct assault on the house? But if someone, particularly someone in power, thought the liminals were responsible…though Kimihito couldn't imagine anyone in authority truly believing that. Still, stranger things had happened. "Sai, what happened out there? Towards Tokyo, I mean. Could you see any better than the rest of us?" He kept looking around for Kaneki. He hoped his shy cousin wasn't hiding under the bed or something.

But if he was, Kimihito sure didn't want to embarrass him by instigating a full-fledged search.

Saitama took a break from his work. "No, Kimihito. All I could make out was this huge _something_ , like a fireball, coming down out of the sky, right over Tokyo." He fidgeted; maybe he should have gone to see if he could help? But if he had done so, Papi-chan would be extremely dead by now.

"Alright. People, I'm going out to get a few things. I'm sure Smith-san will bring in everything but the kitchen sink, but there's still things I'm sure she won't think about. Plus, I wanna check on Polt. Running that gym's gonna make her a high-profile target; she needs to be, at the very least, warned."

"Not alone, you're not, Snookums." Rachnee folded her arms across her chest, her expression deflecting any potential dissent on his part. "Just because you're human, don't think you're automatically safe. You'd probably be seen as a sympathizer. Besides," she purred, "you could use a ride." She gestured with her chin to her back. Kimihito had to admit, Rachnee could carry quite a load back there. They'd developed a special harness for her to use in transporting Mero, and whichever other of the liminals as might need such, since riding Cerea presented its own particular set of problems. Arachnids didn't have such emotional / cultural issues as the centaurs did.

It could also be used, he noted grimly, to transport wounded, in time of need. He fervently hoped such a time wouldn't arise.

"I'll come, too," said Shinichi. "If you're going to get supplies, you may need some help carrying them. And I can help keep lookout, if nothing else." _Besides, a…friend of mine needs to check on some things._

"Too dangerous, Shinichi. Rachnee and I can handle it…"

"He's right, honey," mused Rachnee, studying Shinichi. "We _could_ use an extra pair of hands. And…eyes." She looked at his right hand as she spoke.

Kimihito looked at her suspiciously. This was unusual behavior for her. He opened his mouth to say something when Kaneki came into the room, rubbing his eye. "What's going on?"

"Kaneki!" Kimihito rushed over to his cousin. "You okay? We wondered where you'd gotten off to!"

"Oh, uh, that. I, uh, guess I was a little shaken up. I mean, somebody actually tried to _kill Papi?"_ He looked at them a bit sheepishly. "By the way, how's she doing?"

"She's fine. Miia's with her right now. But…yeah, I guess she's still a little shaken from that."

"I can only imagine. Also, I wanted to call my friend in Tokyo, to see how she's doing."

"How is she?"

"She's…alright, I…think, even though she was fairly close to the epicenter. But I confess, I'm worried about her. I mean, whatever happened, she's right there at it."

"Kaneki, why don't you tell them to come here? Smith-san in practically rebuilding my whole house into a fortress, and room won't be a problem. If whatever it was hit Tokyo, then that's the last place she needs to be right now."

"Are you sure it would be okay?" He'd counted on his cousin's generous nature, and hadn't been disappointed. Though he did feel a little guilty over having manipulated him so.

But only a little. What mattered the most was that those closest to him were safe.

"More than sure. Give her the call."

"Beloved, what should we be doing?" Mero had swum up to the side of the pool and was gazing up concernedly at them. "I'd like to be of some help."

"You can be. You all can be." He knelt down beside the pool, looking both up at the others and at Mero. "While I'm gone, Mero, you're in charge. Smith respects you, and she'll listen to you. And if you can find Lala…"

"I'm here," said the dullahan, just then coming into the room, carrying her ever-present scythe. She looked tired. Kimihito smiled. He liked Lala; she reminded him of himself, back in those days of middle school. _Someday I'll have to put an edge on that scythe of hers for her._

 _Yeah, Kimihito,_ he told himself, _that's right. Go ahead and make her actually_ _dangerous_ _._

"Hard night of collecting souls?" said Rachnee, sarcastically. She didn't for a moment believe the dullahan girl actually had any supernatural abilities.

"I didna collect a single one. Sure'n someone's beaten me to th' punch. M' Eye of Balor c'd find nothin'," She rubbed her eyes tiredly, and for a moment Kimhito worried that she'd rub her eyes so hard her head would fall off, again. Lala was a sweet girl, in spite of the front she put up, but she _was_ a bit accident prone. Probably why she tried so hard to compensate.

When Lala lost her head about something, she literally _lost her head._

"Lala, look. We were just going over some things." He filled her in on the assassination attempt, the rebuilding of the house, the relocation of the MON team AND Smith, evidently, and the news about the "liminals" claiming responsibility for the attack. "So it isn't wise for any of you to be outside just yet, at least, not until things have a chance to settle down. I'm sure Smith-san is installing the latest security system, but that doesn't mean we can drop our guard. I don't want what almost happened to Papi, to happen to anyone else.

"We might not be so lucky, next time."

"Milord, I shall join you. T'will be an honor to stand between you and a bullet…"

"Cerea, I really need you and Kaneki, along with Mero, to chill here. Sai, I'm gonna count on you, too. Look after the others, and, if Smith-san tries to install a landing pad for the S.H.I.E.L.D helicarrier, well, I at least want to know about it."

"But, but, milord! I am your servant…!"

He came up to her and hugged her as best as he could, considering their height differences. "Then serve me here, Cerea. Okay?"

Something inside her melted. "A-as you wish, milord."

 _To be continued…_

 _?_


	5. Chapter 5: The Human Monster

Tokyo Ghoul / Monster Musume / Parasyte/ One Punch Man crossover:

Tokyo Destroyer: Chapter 5: The Human Monster

…..

 _I don't own any of the franchises listed_. _Naturally_.

….

Tokyo Destroyer: Chapter 5: The Human Monster

…

Chapter 5: The Human Monster

 _Two hours and 37 minutes earlier:_ The spiky headed young man prowled the streets of City Z alone, just as he had been, his entire life.

The problem with the world, he thought, was that it _sucked_ , and it _sucked hard._ Sometimes he believed that was all gravity was.

Here he was, the premier villain in Cities A through Z, and nobody even remembered his damn name.

He'd have loved to've blamed it all on that creepy bald dude, but, truth was, the creepy bald dude seemed to have the same problem. He'd looked him up, the last time he was in a library. Even the Heroes' Association webpage had just a single low-rez picture of the guy and a _*citation needed*_ underneath it.

Crap.

The _problem_ was those so-called "heroes." Not a one of them was worth a damn. They spent most of their time fighting each other! Okay, so yeah, once in a while, they fought off some monster or something that was attacking a city, okay, yeah. He guessed he had to give them that; that was what they were supposed to do. Sheer law of averages; they had to luck out sometime. But more often than not, they were just glory hogs who distracted the people from the real problems: crime, poverty, and war.

The young man who went by the name _Garou_ sighed. The problem with being a villain was it didn't pay so good. In fact, it didn't pay at all. Oh, he supposed if one were a member of the Monsters Association, or the House of Evolution, or some such stupidness as that, there would be money involved. After all, you may be trying to destroy the world, but the rent's still due. But he wasn't a member of either one and didn't want to be.

He was the _human monster_ , fa' God's sake, and he aspired to be the best, most feared one of all. All his life, he'd been bullied for being "different," with the "heroes," (read: _conformists_ ) those who were _popular_ , always winning all the admiration and respect of those around them, while he got only their contempt and hate. Okay. So he was gonna be "different," was he? Well, he'd be _really_ different. _Oderint dum metuant._ Let them hate him, as long as they also feared him.

But right now, there was the little matter of food involved. He hadn't eaten for a full day, and, with his metabolism, he burned calories faster than most people. So his stomach was growling.

He was too proud to knock over a liquor store, and just mugging somebody for their cash was beneath him, so the only food he'd been able to come up with was a McDonald's Big Mac he'd found, whole and untouched, still in the box, in a dumpster in an alley somewhere. Probably thrown in there because the stupid human didn't like the sauce topping, or some such ridiculous thing. Here he was, the human monster, reduced to scrounging in dumpsters. Talk about humiliating.

But it would keep him going for a while.

He was making his way to the park to eat in peace when he saw a little girl sitting on the curb, people walking around her like she didn't exist. She was dressed in clothes that had definitely seen better days, and she was crying silently. He thought she looked awfully thin…

 _Oh, now, come on, Garou. You aren't seriously thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?_

 _You're the human monster! You shouldn't be getting involved in something like this! This is_ _so_ _not in character!_

But somehow he found himself sitting by her on the curb. She looked up at him and hitched away. He gave a wry smile at that. _Good going, kid. You don't need to get too close to strangers._

The box with its burger just seemed to materialize on the sidewalk between them. She glanced over at it, hungrily. He pretended not to notice. Shortly, without a word being spoken, he got up and left, hands in his pockets, walking off down the street. He'd gotten no more than thirty feet when his preternaturally sharp ears detected the sound of the box being opened.

Oh, well. He guessed his stomach could rumble one more night. Maybe, if he was lucky, people would think it was him growling at them.

…..

Garou noticed the norms crowded around one of the LED screens set up outside. There was an emergency broadcast being sent out; Tokyo had come under attack by persons or forces unknown. Experts couldn't agree if it had been bombed or not, but many thought it to be the work of monsters.

Hm, he thought. Could some enterprising monster have actually managed to score a big one on the home island? But no, the reports were talking about "liminals," except now, the consensus was that it was creatures called "ghouls," creatures who ate human flesh. After all, went the logic, how better to get a great many human corpses to eat? It would be a regular all-you-could-eat buffet…

Well now. He'd heard of these "ghouls," even though he'd never encountered any. But he could see the logic in the supposition: bomb a large metropolitan area, then, with the authorities, or anybody else who'd take exception, too busy to interfere, grab whatever was grabbable and feast at your leisure. Though the experts seemed divided as to whether ghouls liked their food alive or dead…

But…

It seemed…kinda cowardly to him. A _real_ monster went up against his opponents one on one, win or lose. Just bombing the hell out of a place and scavenging the corpses? Vultures.

He smiled a very predatory smile. Maybe these cowardly ghouls needed to meet up with a _real_ monster.

…

 _Two hours and 7 minutes earlier:_ Carefully, Kimihito, Rachnera and Shinichi explored the empty building that housed Polt's Klub Kobald. At Rachnee's suggestion, Suu had accompanied them. Kimihito had to admit, of them all, Suu was probably the most indestructible, but that didn't make her _indestructible._ Still, Rachnee had been right: there could be chemical traces that Suu could follow, that the others could not.

Plus, the slime girl had been adamant about coming. Anything that might threaten her best friend had just become _personal._

Kimihito was especially anxious about Polt. With her owning these fitness centers themselves, she was more of a target than lower-profile liminals. "But where do you suppose everyone could've gone?" asked Shinichi, looking around. It was a little eerie, seeing all the exercise equipment designed especially for liminals: the specially heated pool, the weight room…all of it silent and unoccupied.

"I don't like this," muttered Rachnee, mirroring Kimihito's own thoughts. Klub Kobald served more than just liminals, after all. Yet the building was silent and empty.

"We need to check her office, see if there's anything there. Suu? Anything?"

Suu simply shook her head; no trace of any chemicals. One thing Kimihito had been especially concerned about was the storehouse of liminal-based poisons Kasegi, the phony director, had been found with. Those poisons had been specifically designed to be effective on liminals, as weapons of mass destruction. He'd quizzed Smith time and again about the possibility of bio agents, but she'd just shaken her head. He sincerely hoped that meant there hadn't been any.

A pandemic among liminals would be…devastating. And it would target…it would target…

It would target people whom he loved. Especially one person.

"Another thing, guys…be very careful where you go. This place could be…" He hated to say it, but… "This place could be booby-trapped."

"By who?"

"By whoever is responsible for it being so deserted. They'd probably figure that anyone who came looking for Polt or any of the others would either be liminals themselves…or else be standard human first-responders. In which case, some human casualties here would serve to further heighten tensions between humans and liminals. So, yeah."

Shinichi glanced up. "You're thinking IED's, maybe?"

"It's possible. Or maybe chem agents." He saw Rachnee nodding in agreement. "Especially if some people are convinced liminals are behind this. That might explain why there's nobody here. I only hope they haven't been killed or…captured." He had a brief, horrible image of Polt's skin decorating some human's wall or floor. "We have to find them. But everybody stay together. Rachnee, you're the only one of us not limited to the floor; take a look at the hallways up ahead and scope out any areas where such devices might have been planted. And, hm." A thought occurred to him. "Maybe, if you can, we can make use of your spider silk to help us travel over suspected areas without touching the floor. And should we find anything questionable, those silk cocoons of yours could serve to dampen any…explosions."

Rachnee looked at him with renewed respect. "Good idea, snookums. I'll take a look up ahead."

Kimihito turned to Shinichi. "Polt's office is just up ahead. If there's any answers to be found, it'll be there." He turned back to Suu. "Suu? Anything? Anything at all?" But all the slime girl did was shake her head, her top tendril quavering as though in a breeze. She'd doffed her trademark raincoat so as to better maneuver in potentially cramped spaces. She was searching for something, some indication as to why there was no one here, with senses none of the rest of them could understand. He didn't want to disturb her.

Unnoticed by the others, Shinichi pressed his right hand up to his neck. To any onlooker, it would have seemed as though he were simply rubbing his neck. But the alien organism in his right arm could use such close contact to communicate via bone conduction. _{{Anything?}}_

 _{{Nothing definite. I would say, however, that I am picking up traces of your primitive firearms being discharged. Exactly when, I couldn't say. But it was within the last twenty-four hours.}}_

 _{{So there's a good chance this 'Polt' is dead?}}_

 _{{Not necessarily. I am not picking up any traces of blood or other bodily fluids. It may be she has gone to ground somewhere.}}_

 _{{Hm. And she's a kobold, so…in times of stress or hardship, she might well have literally gone to ground. Any sign of any caves or entranceways to caves?}}_

 _{{None. But I wouldn't have expected such signs to be very obvious. But perhaps you should mention this to your friend. He is clearly concerned about this person.}}_

 _{{Thanks, Migi. I will.}}_

 _{{Give me more information, and watch me chew up this mystery in my jaws of intellect.}}_

He almost laughed. _{{You've been reading too many of those old B-grade science fiction novels.}}_

 _{{Maybe you haven't been reading enough.}}_

"Kimihito?" Shinichi looked up from where he was kneeling by one corner of the room. Kimihito turned to him. "You said this 'Polt' is a kobold?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Aren't they, like, subterranean sorts? Live under the ground?"

"Yeah…?"

"So…if she were threatened…"

"I see what you mean. Okay. So…maybe we'd best check the basement, next."

…

 _Ken Kaneki, I am gonna absolutely kill you, right in front of everybody. As in dead. Not breathing. No heartbeat. Flatlined. Nobody but nobody talks about my "sweet ass." Least of all, you._ The five of them—Touka, Mr. Yoshimura, Hinami, and the two strangers, Ainz Ooal Gown and the still-silent armored woman he called Albedo—were standing just outside of the remodeled Kurusu household. The towering Ainz—who'd described himself as a wizard, and none of them saw any reason to dispute it—had, at the _very polite_ and _very respectful_ request of Mr. Yoshimura, teleported them all to the front door of the Kurusu household, once he'd become aware the offer had been extended. A still-stunned Touka had made the mistake of confiding Kaneki's message to Yoshimura, who'd laughed for a solid ten minutes. "He's probably under a lot of pressure, Touka. Don't hold it against him." That had just infuriated her all the more.

 _Oh, don't worry. I'm not gonna hold anything against him. Rather, I'm gonna hold him against something. Like the walls, ceiling, floors…_ Her temper hadn't cooled one degree when the door was opened by none other than the Perpetrator of The Unforgiveable Injustice himself. "Oh, it's you! How'd you get here so quick—AACK!" Touka grabbed him by the front of his shirt and shoved him back into the house. "T-Touka, wh-what are y-*"

" _You,_ " she began, thrusting her face right in his. Then she saw Miia and Papi just then emerging from Miia's room.

"Oh, hey!" said Miia, "You must be Touka! Kaneki's told us so much about you!" Then they all fell silent as they took in the giant form of the Supreme Wizard behind her, just then following Yoshimura and Hinami, and in turn being followed by Albedo. "Who, uh…" Cerea, who'd followed them in, fingered the hilt of her sword, never taking her eyes off the mage.

Yoshimura jumped in before anyone could speak or act. "Ah, yes, this is Lord Ainz Ooal Gown, the Supreme Wizard from an alternate dimension, and very probably the only reason Touka and I are alive. This is Albedo, his servant. And this is Hinami Fueguchi. I am Mr. Yoshimura, the proprietor of Anteiku, where both Touka and Kaneki work." Hinami was gazing wide-eyed at the liminals, but she bowed, respectfully.

"Worked," muttered Touka, so low nobody but Kaneki, who was closest, could hear. She hadn't ceased to glare at him. "Corpses are usually of little effective assistance." Kaneki gulped. What was she talking about?

"Oh. Uhm, well, good. It's good to see you all." And she and Papi, along with a clearly discomfited Cerea, bowed, respectfully. "Darling—I mean, Kimihito, went out for some supplies, but he should be back anytime. Uh, won't you make yourselves comfortable?" She gestured towards the spacious living room, it having been designed for the liminals, many of whom took up quite a bit of space. That particular modification had actually been Kimihito's idea; he didn't want any of his guests to feel left out or squeezed. As was always the case, Ms. Smith had agreed with her usual sighs, headshakes, eyerolls and they-don't-pay-me-enough-for-this reluctant enthusiasm, and, also with her usual it's-already-rubber-stamped speed, promptly had the room redesigned. He privately suspected she literally had a rubber stamp of his signature. (He wasn't wrong.) The workmen were still in the process of finishing the modifications to Kimihito's house. At one point in its turbulent history, the house had been redesigned to be modular anyway, since Smith had intended to shoehorn as many liminals in as she physically could ("it's less paperwork that way"), so the modifications involved mostly sliding parts together, expanding rooms, all the while installing the heavy reinforced steel panels. "Just make yourselves at home." Touka once again grabbed Kaneki's shirt, and was in the process of hauling him into a corner with what appeared to him to be murderous intent.

"We're back!" said Kimihito, as he, Shinichi, and Rachnee appeared in the doorway. "Oh! Who're these people?" He took in Kaneki and Touka, who hadn't let go of Kaneki's shirt. The material was starting to tear.

"Ah, Kimihito! Glad to see you're back!" _Especially since I'm getting murder looks from Touka. Why?_ "Uh, need any help putting all that up?"

But Miia and Cerea had jumped to the task. Papi rounded on Ainz. "Are you a real wizard?"

"Yes."

"Can you grant wishes?"

"Insolent child!"

"Peace, Albedo. We've bigger concerns." Then, to Papi, "There is one wish all present have that I intend to grant: the wish for continued life."

Touka turned to an ashen-faced Kaneki. "We are _so_ not finished here."

…

 _Somewhere, anywhere, nowhere, everywhere:_ Rize Kamishiro came back to a very painful consciousness. She was lying in a bed somewhere, one of the softest she'd ever experienced. "Ooooh…" The light was subdued, but still too bright for her, and she blinked her eyes against it.

"Ah. You're awake." The voice came from her side, outside her range of vision.

"Who…? What…what's happened…to me?" She barely had the strength to speak.

A figure moved into her field of view, a familiar figure. "It's me, Rize. Ben. I found you and came for you, just like I said I would. Unfortunately, a lot happened before I was able to find you.

"How do you feel?"

"Horrible." She tried to put her hand to her head, but couldn't get up the strength. "Ben?" She tried to focus on the figure. He did look awfully familiar. Ben? Was it _that_ Ben? But…that had all been a dream, hadn't it?

Was she dreaming now? But no, she hurt too much.

"Yes, Rize. It's me." He moved closer, and she could see him better. He'd grown up, of course, but there were changes mere age and maturation couldn't account for.

He was a shade over six feet tall and powerfully built, with two lightning-like streaks in his black hair. He still wore his red oversuit…but he'd changed, himself.

Before, Rize had sensed a difference in him, without knowing what it was. It had been somewhat intimidating, but not to the degree it now was. Now…now he was almost _unreal_ looking, in an almost blinding sort of way. It was frightening, in its own way. The only thing that kept her from cringing away was her own weakness. "Ben? What…"

He came over and sat on the bed by her. "It's alright, Rize. You're safe now, and in the process of recovering. Let's just say you fell victim to some extraordinarily rude people. I…discussed the matter with them, and they're very sorry." Something about the way he said that made goosebumps form on her arms, even as it sent a quiver up her spine. His expression…and that strange light hadn't left his eyes.

"I…thought…it was all a…dream…"

"No, Rize. It wasn't. It was real. You just disappeared right in front of me. It took me a long time to find you, but find you I did. You're okay now. Your ordeal's over." He paused, and seemed to listen to something she couldn't hear. "At least, _that_ part of it is."

 _I_ _have_ _heard more reassuring statements,_ she thought to herself, keeping her expression under control. "But what…happened…?"

"I'll tell you all about it once you get your strength back. Just let me know if you get hungry." He stood up. "I'll get you all you want, and then some."

 _To be continued…_


	6. Chapter 6: Secrets Carefully Kept

Tokyo Destroyer: Chapter 6: Secrets Carefully Kept

…..

 _Kinda at a loss as to how to classify this. It is a crossover, but of a ridiculous number of animes. So…Tokyo Ghoul, Monster Musume, Parasyte, One Punch Man, and Overlord? Is there even a category for all those?_

 _Oh, hell with it. I'm havin' fun._

… _.._

Chapter 6: Secrets Carefully Kept

"Uh, Touka, this is Kimihito Kurusu, my cousin on my mother's side. Kimihito, this is-*"

"Touka. Kaneki's told me a lot about you." Kimihito reached over to shake her hand. Miia and Cerea were still putting up the groceries, while Papi was still dancing around a silent Ainz, much to Albedo's obvious annoyance. But her lord had told her to stand down… "I'm glad you and…Hinami, is it?" he addressed the little girl, who was still taking it all in: the swiftly—moving workers, the liminals…Hinami was still was having trouble getting used to Lord Ainz, let alone these strange new beings, of whom she'd heard, but never thought to meet.

Kimihito knelt down in front of her. "Hinami? I'm Kimihito, Kaneki's cousin. I'm glad you and the others could join us." He glanced up at Kaneki. "Uh, where are her parents?"

"They're dead," said Hinami, in a flat tone of voice, before Kaneki could jump in. Kimihito drew back, startled. "Oh, I, uh, I'm sorry to hear-*" But he got no further.

"Dead?! Oh, no!" Papi's attention was finally drawn away from Ainz. In one bound, she was over in front of Hinami, wrapping her wings around the little ghoul girl. "Oh, Hinami-chan! I'm so sorry!" Kimihito remembered Papi's strong maternal instincts. "Did…I mean…was it…" _Was it recent? Did they die in the explosion?_

Hinami hugged her back, giving comfort as much as she was getting it. "It's okay, Miss Papi. I understand. But no, they didn't die then. That was…a while ago." So thoroughly had she already accepted the harpy that she'd been about to reveal exactly _how_ her parents had died…that would have been disastrous. "It's not…I mean, I'm okay."

"I…o…okay." Papi sniffed. A natural mother, she immediately sympathized with the little girl. Seeing that, Kimihito couldn't help but smile. _Papi's kids are gonna be so spoiled._

Kaneki turned to Kimihito. He knew what his cousin was about to ask, even before he actually spoke it. "I'll fill you in later, Kim. Meanwhile, I need to thank Lord Ainz here, for saving my friends' lives." And he bowed low to the towering wizard. "I am in your debt, Ainz- _sama_."

"You are most welcome, Kaneki- _san,_ " the towering mage rumbled. "I only hope your appreciation is not premature."

….

 _Two hours and 18 minutes earlier:_ The ruins of downtown Tokyo: The building was burning fiercely, and the firefighters had given up on saving it. They'd been able to rescue most of the people, but…"My baby! My baby's back there!" The injured woman was being lifted into the ambulance. She clutched at the arm of one of the EMT's, whose nametag read, "A. Touzokuyama." "Please, get my baby!"

He patted her hand. "Don't worry, ma'am. I'll get her." And with that, he straightened up and ran straight back towards the burning building, heedless of the frantic calls of his fellow workers. They groaned in exasperation. They'd just seen a man commit suicide.

Inside the building: Akihito Touzokuyama didn't know where her baby was _(maybe should'a asked, huh?)_ , but he could make a pretty good guess where the baby _wasn't._ If the kid was anywhere, and not roasted, she'd have to be someplace the fire hadn't yet reached.

He was a trained fireman, and knew that the real danger of fire was as much the smoke as the actual flames themselves. Babies, with their smaller lungs, were particularly susceptible to this.

 _There._ His ears detected the sound of a baby crying. _That's it, kid, keep yelling. Keep yelling 'til I find you._ He dodged flaming debris, scrambling over fallen beams, his arm up over face, keeping his eyes and nose shielded as best as he could, heading for the sound he could barely hear over the dragon's roar of the fire…

 _There._ He could see the remains of a baby's crib up ahead, through a gap in the flames. The baby herself was on the floor, howling, clearly terrified. The roof over her looked like it could give way any minute…and she was too far away for him to reach in time. He glanced around. No help for it, then.

Fast as a striking snake, his _kagune_ whipped out, stretching outward through the wall of flames, toughening up as it did so, becoming more fire-resistant. Even so, he grimaced at the pain as the heat from the flames bit into him. He snatched the baby up, just as a falling beam reduced the cradle to a broken pile. _Okay, now, how do we get out of here?_

Outside, the workers were still working to triage and move the injured when Touzokuyama smashed his way out of the very thick of the flames, a screaming baby wrapped in his jacket. He hit the ground rolling, shifting to keep from falling on the child. Regained his feet with a grunt, as his co-workers rushed over to see about them both.

He walked over and presented the child back to the mother. "Oh, thank you! You…you're an angel!"

He smiled tiredly at her, wiping the soot from his face. "Just doing my job, ma'am," said the S-class ghoul.

…..

 _Two hours and 7 minutes earlier:_ "…no, of course I don't think the ghouls are behind this, that's just hysterical office rumor," said Kotaro Amon, with a dismissive wave of his hand. "The only reason we're being called into this, is because the EDF needs the manpower. This is going to stretch all our resources. Besides, the ghouls certainly wouldn't bomb _themselves._ " The Commission for Counter Ghoul Headquarters in Tokyo, being more heavily shielded than most buildings, had survived the devastation, but it was heavily damaged, and many investigators had been killed, with many more injured. "That doesn't mean they won't attempt to benefit from it, though, whatever it was." He thought a moment. "We'll need to take special precautions." He was already cataloging exactly what to order done, here in the aftermath of the…event.

"But was it a bomb?" Akira Mado was walking with him along the corridor. The two of them had to step over or walk around a couple of heavy beams that had fallen in the hallway, a testament to the sheer force of whatever had hit midtown.

"I don't know. Personally, I don't know what _else_ it might have been, but…the guys in the lab are saying it wasn't. Or, if it was, it wasn't like any bomb we've ever seen. Plus, I'm getting some very peculiar reports from some of my sources inside the EDF. Something about something from space." He frowned. "Maybe a meteor? But there's no indication of any space rocks, scourings or burn marks something falling from space should leave. Hell, there's not even much of a crater, not like we'd expect to see." Even with his preoccupation with the ghoul menace, he couldn't help but be curious. "But if it _was_ a meteor, why not just _say_ so? Why all this eyes-only, need-to-know, G5 classified attitude?" He changed his train of thought with a shake of his head. "Well, anyway, it doesn't matter. We've got hundreds of civilians dead or injured, and all the reports aren't even in yet. Normally, that wouldn't be our concern," he turned to her, and they stopped, there in the corridor, "but the EDF has called us in. They need every able person they can get. Whether it was or wasn't a bomb, it certainly acted like one, and midtown's a mess. I need you to coordinate with General Visor. There will be people in need of assistance, rescue, and, for that matter, psychological trauma. Just because this wasn't a ghoul attack doesn't mean they won't have post-traumatic psych problems. Get our team mobilized on that.

"But at the same time, we can't afford to ignore this _other_ crisis: that the ghouls will use this opportunity to gather as much of the victims' bodies as they can." He grimaced. "'Waste not,' I guess. But this also gives _us_ an opportunity to find and eliminate, or at least catalog, as many of them as we can." Referring to the CCG's ever-growing database on known and suspected ghouls. "And this same thing may have eliminated some of them, as well, so an update will be called for."

She nodded, even as she frowned. No point in wasting future time on ghouls already eliminated. "I _do_ know my job, supervisor."

"Didn't mean to imply you didn't, Akira. But you'll still need orders; I'll see you have yours on your desk. But there's another matter."

Again, she nodded. "Connections."

"Exactly. Find out who these ghouls—dead or alive-were connected with. Needless to say, any and all information on whatever happened is to be given top priority. If this was a bomb, an attack from some other country…there's no reason to think it'll be the only one.

"It might even be a cover for another, possibly worse, attack."

Another frown, this time of concentration. Like her father, Kureo Mado, Akira Mado had a right eye that bulged a bit when she concentrated. She was actually quite proud of that, regarding it, rightfully enough, as a legacy of her late father. "What could be worse than a nuclear attack?"

"A biological one." Her eyes widened as she saw where he was heading. "And this could so easily be a cover for that. Insertion of a bio agent would be ridiculously easy now. So tell every field agent to take note of anyone entering any hospital or medical center of any sort complaining of issues not attributable to this." He got on the elevator, and turned to her, just as the doors closed. "World War Three might have already begun, Investigator."

…..

 _Somewhere, nowhere, anywhere, everywhere:_ Rize Kamishiro was more and more disturbed by her attendants.

She hadn't seen much of Ben— _Chaos,_ he called himself now-since her awakening, but she had been attended by humanoid beings who smelled like food, but had no faces.

They were nude, sexless creatures who appeared to exist solely to serve her. Evidently, they'd been given orders, at some point, to assist her in her recovery, and to that end, directed her to a number of exercise devices, tracks, runways, of which she availed herself readily. But who—and what—were they?

Of course, they couldn't communicate, although they had human-shaped ears (but no eyes. How did they _see_?). And those ears certainly functioned; anything she said was listened to intently, and, with certain exceptions, obeyed instantly. She'd once tried an experiment: she ordered the attendant nearest to her to offer itself as food, which it readily did, the others standing back while she fed. The things apparently had no survival instincts, showed no sign of pain—which was disappointing —or any unwillingness to comply. And the meat was tasty enough; she could tell it was nutritious. She wondered if it had been deliberately designed to be nourishment for her personal biochemistry and metabolism. It would be…kinda efficient, if so. A sort of "fast food" for ghouls. Meat on the hoof, so to speak. Or, more accurately, the foot.

Thinking about it that way, she couldn't help but laugh, but her laughter contained a shriek or two of a mind stretched to the breaking point.

…..

Rize threw herself back on the bed, exhausted. She knew she had to keep at it, and her ghoul physiology would help, but she couldn't allow herself any time to stiffen up or become lazy. And that would have been altogether too easy to do, here in…come to think of it, just where was she, anyway? Ben's…Fortress of Solitude or something?

There were no windows. Anywhere. That was disturbing.

"How are you doing?" She gasped, as she shifted her head. Standing by one wall was Ben, in a relaxed pose, hands behind his back. Somewhere in the back of her mind it occurred to her that, ever since becoming reacquainted with him, she'd had never actually seen him walk through a door, and there wasn't one visible behind him now. Rather odd, that.

"Better." She had barely seen him since awakening here in this…place. "Nice occupational therapists you have here." She was wearing a white one-piece gown that gave her maximum freedom of movement, and also had cutouts in the back for her _kagune_. She'd been exercising those lately, too, as her strength came back.

"Like them, did you? I created them especially for you. They're positively jam-packed with all the nutrients you need, and, of course, as you've seen…" and here he nodded his head towards the room with the exercise equipment, "…quite devoted to their job."

She sat up. "Ben…something I've been meaning to ask you…well, two things, actually. First, you never told me just exactly what happened to me. The last I remember is, something heavy falling on me, interrupting what was promising to be an excellent meal."

He came over and sat by her on the bed. As before, she couldn't detect any scent from him. That nagged at her, for some reason, even though she'd long ago simply come to terms with it. Or thought she had. "What happened to you is, you got crushed under some falling steel I-beams. But it was no accident; a human doctor named Akihiro Kanou arranged it in order to get you taken into his custody. His intention, at least at that point, was to create a race of ghoul-human hybrids, which he believed to be the next step in human evolution.

"So he got hold of your seemingly lifeless body and has been using it ever since, transplanting your _kakuhou_ into whatever humans he managed to get hold of. Your would-be take-out special that night became the first, much to his dismay."

Rize sat silently, processing it all. "So…this… _bastard_ used me to create semi-ghouls? I guess I have to give him points for creativity, at least. Where is he now?"

A wave of his hand. "Dead. I demolished the planet."

" _The whole thing?_ Oh, what am I saying," she put a hand to her head. "I really shouldn't be surprised. But…now I can't get my revenge on him."

He gave her a peculiar look. "Don't…be so sure about that."

"Huh? What do you mean?" She was getting tired. It had been a long day on the treadmill. Evidently, whatever they'd done to her had been grievous enough that even her ghoul resiliency was having a hard time recovering.

"I…might can do something about that. I have the ability to fold time back upon itself, so I may be able to retrieve him, at least, before my El Magnifico Destructo beam hit. Then, you could bring him here and…get a little creative yourself."

"That's something else I wanted to ask. Ben, where, exactly, are we? I haven't seen a window or viewscreen anywhere."

"I'll show you." He walked over to one wall. He just stood there, hands behind his back, not seeming to actually do anything, but suddenly the wall became transparent. But what it showed…

Wherever they were, they were flying or floating through an endless tunnel or vast tube, amidst an indescribable kaleidoscope of colors that she couldn't put names to, that had no names, shapes that had no shape such as she knew. The information overflow was _dizzying._ She staggered back from the wall, and he caught her. "You see why I arranged this place with no windows. It takes a little getting used to."

"But…but where are we?"

"We're actually outside of what you would call time and space. I call it the 'time-stream,' though that's no better a term than any other. You can think of it as a warp in space that leads to a much bigger, much less understandable, state of existence."

Again she had to pause while digesting that. He hadn't removed his arm from around her, and part of herself found herself…wishing he wouldn't. Rize had long since come to terms with her predator nature. Others were there only for her personal solitary pleasure, nothing more. But…"Ben…there's something else I've been meaning to ask you…" _Why do you keep doing these things for me?_

 _What am I, to you?_

And a question she was afraid to answer: _Why is that important to me?_

But of course, the answer to that last was obvious: if it hadn't been for having such a friend, she would still be someone's guinea pig. So…personal survival, nothing more. Of course. It had to be.

"Ben…"

But he was looking off into the distance. "Why that little dickens," he said, absently, as though talking to himself. "So _that's_ what he's up to."

….

The Kurusu household: The guests had been escorted to their respective rooms, while Ainz conferred with Albedo outside. "My lord," she began, "I have never before seen you so…uncertain about…upcoming events."

"Never before have I encountered a situation such as this, Albedo. This being could easily pose a significant threat to us all. Add to that the fact that this is far from my center of power. My spells, my craft, may not function here as they did back home. It will," he mused, "be an interesting match. However, I am debating on whether or not to return to our world. I am uneasy leaving the Great Tomb of Nazerick in Shaltear's hands for long."

"I could not agree more, my lord. That one is not to be trusted. But," she looked at him. Neither of them had removed any of their garments yet, not that they needed to. Both her armor and Ainz's were, of course, magically self-maintaining and self-cleaning. "But I would stay with you, wherever you are, if you would let me do so. You know I would gladly lay down my life for you."

"This I know, Albedo. And Shaltear can be trusted…up to a point. But the reason I am considering returning to the Great Tomb is, I need to fortify it with spells of defense, the strongest ones I know." Again he paused, as though to say something. "This one will be a worthy foe." Then he turned to Albedo. "Magic, any magic, comes from the heart and soul of the universe, Albedo. I sense that very soul is under siege."

"My lord?"

He turned to her fully, and for the first time in her new existence, Albedo saw something in her lord's red-litten eyes she'd never seen before: concern. Concern for others. "These mortals have been kind enough to offer us sanctuary, such as they have, here in their home.

"It would only be polite to extend the same offer to them, should it come to that.

"And it may."

…

A universe away: "What do you mean, Ben?" Lindsay was at his side, as always.

"Chaos. He's either done something, or about to do something, terrible."

"You think he's about to destroy another world?"

Ben Sinclair's grimace was one of inner pain. "It…it feels like something worse than that."

…

Kimihito had filled them in on what he'd found out, which wasn't much. "So, I'm hoping Polt went underground when things got serious. But I don't know. We weren't able to find any trace of her, or any other liminals." He didn't say what he feared the most: that, if word had indeed gotten out the liminals were responsible for the attack, or whatever it may have been, that it may be open season on them.

Liminals could easily have become an endangered species, overnight. "Sai? Have you determined anything?" Kimihito had come to terms with the fact that his cousin was totally unlike anyone else he'd ever known.

Saitama gestured at his cell. "I've been unable to raise any of my friends in City Z, but that's not too surprising. Many times, their exploits carry them beyond our coverage area. And, to be honest, many of their exploits, like mine, frequently end up with demolished cells." He looked, a bit shamefacedly, at the others. "Our coverage provider loves us; we're always having to order new ones. And the insurance won't pay." He paused, his expression sobering. "Is there any indication that…anything…has happened back there?"

"Apparently, Tokyo was the only place hit. There's no indication of anything happening anywhere else. I'm sure your friends are fine."

"I hope so." He especially worried about Genos and Silver Fang. Of all of his closest friends, those two were the most likely to rush into danger to save others. Tatsumaki, though certainly the most powerful of them all, and the least vulnerable, seemed to save herself primarily for monsters. But, he asked himself, perhaps this _was_ a monster? A nuclear monster? He voiced his suspicion to Kimihito, who took it seriously.

"It's possible, Sai. I'll ask Smith-San later, see if she knows anything. I can usually wangle some bit of information out of her that she ordinarily wouldn't share." He'd bonded, a bit, with the unpredictable-yet-very-predictable government agent a while back, when she'd been sick. None of the liminals had volunteered to care for her, stating they didn't want to start a pandemic among liminals (but more probably as revenge for her leaving them literal mountains of her unfinished paperwork). So, he, Kimihito Kurusu, the pushover, having just recovered from the same bug, had taken care of her during her absence from work. The incident had resulted in a kind of bonding, as well as producing…something…in her. He wasn't sure what (and didn't really care to speculate), but they'd definitely become closer. Sometimes it made him a little uncomfortable. "I'll ask. Surely, if there's some evidence of something living causing this, she'll at least have heard some office rumor."

….

"So," began Zombina, cleaning her customized MP5. The three of them had been assigned on extra-large room, where they stored their personal items and weapons. One of the beds was extra-large sized, especially for Tio, who took up a lot of room. "What, exactly, are we doing here? I doubt any of this falls under our jurisdiction."

"Our jurisdiction," began Ms. Smith, "has expanded a bit. According to the latest orders I've received from the EDF, we're no longer limited to just liminal-based threats. We may be called upon to quell riots or deal with humans determined to cause trouble."

"Wait. We may haveta shoot _humans?_ " Zombina was, for once, speechless. Manako and Tio both turned to the government agent.

"Perhaps it won't come to that. But we may be called upon to…go beyond our normal scope of operations. Crowd control, that sort of thing." Zombina nodded; it made sense now, them having to include taser bullets in their stock of ammo.

"Ms. Smith," spoke up Manako, "what do you suppose happened? What's going on?"

"I don't know how much of what I've heard is truth and how much is rumor, Manako. I'd hate to give you false information." She sighed. Unlike the others, Agent Smith had been assigned her own room. "But I will share with you what is known about what it _wasn't._ It was _not_ a nuclear attack, not in any sense of the term we know. It was not an attack by some other country." She paused in thought. "In fact, it may not have been an attack at all."

"Huh? If it wasn't an attack, what else could it have been?"

Again a pause, while Smith gathered her thoughts, deciding what to share and what to keep to herself. "Siberia, 1908. The Tunguska Event. _Something_ came down out of space and flattened over 700 square miles of tundra; its estimated yield was anywhere between ten to thirty megatons. Experts are still debating over what it was, but there was no impact crater. Just like this."

"Yeah," said Manako, "I remember reading about that. Nobody can decide if it was a comet or a meteor. But it was an air burst, whatever it was. But I heard this was different."

"It was. For one thing, this effect, whatever it was, seemed to reach all the way to the ground, but without causing the damage one would expect. So…

"…so the EDF is on the alert for anything…that might be a prelude to an attack from space. An invasion."

…

"…Yes, Yoshimura- _san_. Albedo and I will be taking our leave of you for now. We must return to our home dimension to prepare for the upcoming battle." Mr. Yoshimura had been extremely polite and respectful, and Momonga, acting as Lord Ainz, could appreciate that. Many beings in his home dimension could learn a lot from this human.

"You foresee a battle, then, Lord Ainz?" Mr. Yoshimura had served as the liaison between the Supreme Wizard and the others, a bit fearful as to how their perhaps-less-than-formal manners could be construed.

If there was one thing Yoshimura had learned in his long life, it was proper etiquette. Especially with beings such as Lord Ainz.

"I do indeed. This entity, this being, has not finished here. He will be back."

"Can you tell us anything about, er, him?"

"Nothing beyond what I have already told you. But now, we must go. But first…" And Ainz straightened up, looking around at the walls. He raised his hand and uttered a phrase in a language Yoshimura didn't recognize. Then he went to each wall, repeating the same phrase, extending his hand to the wall.

"You should be honored, human," said the armored woman he'd called Albedo. Up until then, she'd not spoken more than a few words, and none to him. "The Great Lord Ainz is taking a special interest in you."

Yoshimura bowed. "I am honored, indeed, as the others will be, once I have explained the matter to them. But what is he doing?"

"He is reinforcing the walls of your dwelling," Yoshimura did not correct her as to the exact ownership of the house, "to make it as invincible as he can. Once he is done, there is nothing known to us that can break through it."

Once again, Yoshimura bowed. "I am indeed honored. We all are. Please convey my gratitude to your Lord." But Albedo turned away without replying. Well, Yoshimura thought to himself, he'd done everything he could.

….

"You got the remote, Miia?" He clicked over a few news channels, trying to see if anyone had anything to report. So many of them were offline… "Good thing Ms. Smith redesigned this place for extra room," he said, absently. "Certainly a lot of people all of a sudden."

"Yes. Especially Kaneki's…friend." It took him a moment before he caught the inflection in her tone. Then he did a double-take.

"Now, Miia. Don't start."

"Don't start what?" she asked innocently. She was sitting beside him on the couch, being one of the few liminals there who could take advantage of the seating system. Cerea, Rachnera, Mero, and the others were unable, in some cases, of actually making use of a couch designed for humans. It was an advantage she took every chance she got.

"You know what. Getting all jealous." Hinami, Papi, and Suu were playing an energetic three-sided game on the Wii at another console across the room. Against two such vigorous opponents, she'd abandoned using her wing-thumbs, and was using her feet. Kimihito groaned slightly; the last time she did that, it resulted in a crushed remote. Sometimes, Papi didn't know her own strength. _Good thing my part time job became full time._ The other guests—excepting Lord Ainz and his servant, who'd already taken their leave—had already been shown to their respective rooms and told to make themselves comfortable. Kimihito had asked Yoshimura if he needed him to store anything in the large walk-in freezer he'd had specially installed for his houseguests' wide and varied appetite, but Mr. Yoshimura had politely declined, stating they'd brought all the necessary storage equipment they needed from Tokyo. Kimihito had thought he'd acted just a trifle nervous about something.

"I'm not jealous, Darling…"

"Oh, yes you are. I recognize the signs all too well by now." Most of the others had retired for the evening, and Papi, her own substantial reserves of energy once again depleted from playing with Hinami, came over and plopped herself down on Kimihito's other side, nestling up against him. Without being fully conscious of it, he absently wrapped an arm around her, pulling her in closer.

Miia crossed her arms. "It's just…I saw the way she was looking at you, Darling."

"Oh, Miia. Come on. You really are imagining things this time. I mean, she's only just now met me. Besides, haven't you noticed? She and Kaneki are like…" And he held up his hand, with the fore and middle fingers pressed together.

"They're like two fingers pressed together?"

"No. They're…you know. I mean, you saw. He barely had time to open the door but what she'd grabbed him by the shirt and was dragging him off into a corner. I mean, she was practically tearing his clothes off right there in the front hallway."

Miia relaxed a little. "She…does seem like the passionate sort."

"I was halfway afraid she wouldn't wait to get him into a room. And I no sooner showed 'em where they'd be staying but that she zoomed into _his_ room. I mean, it was like she was on rocket skates or something. I've never seen _anybody_ move that fast." He smiled a dirty smile. "Doesn't take an Einstein to figure out what they're doing in there now."

…

Ken Kaneki was slammed up against the wall and pinned there, like a butterfly on a card. _"What,"_ snarled Touka, "was that about _my ass?"_

"Touka, what are you talking about?"

" _You_ know. I'll have you know, Ken Kaneki, nobody but _no_ body talks about my 'sweet ass,' certainly not _you!"_

"Touka. You're talking nonsense. I don't talk about peoples' asses, certainly not yours, and certainly not to you!"

"Yeah? Well, I guess this just proves there's exceptions to everything." The only reason Kaneki was as unharmed as he was, was that Mr. Yoshimura had given Touka _strict orders_ to leave him alone. Within reason, of course. He knew these young people had to resolve their own conflicts.

Though he did wish they'd quit dancing around their true feelings for each other. He wasn't going to be around forever—ghouls almost never died of old age—and he had hopes of turning over Anteiku—and its clandestine operation as a meeting place and information center for ghouls—to them, certainly to Touka, at the very least.

She let him go, still fuming. Somehow, he could always do this to her. Nobody else seemed able to push her buttons quite as effectively. "Okay. Since you don't seem to remember—"(the possibility that he might be lying literally never crossed her mind; she knew him better than that) "-I'll let it pass this time. _But only this time._ And only because we're guests here. _But…!"_ She lifted a finger.

"I know, I know. Don't let it happen again." Kaneki sighed. Whatever had set Touka off he still didn't have a clue about, but he gathered it had something to do with some sort of inappropriate speech…okay, he guessed he could certainly handle that. If she wanted to beat the living crap out of him later, well…he'd never raise his hand against her, even in self-defense.

Even as the notion drifted through his mind, he told himself it was simply because it would have been a futile gesture, anyway.

Right.

….

Downstairs: Kimihito turned his attention to Papi, who was still shifting, getting into a more comfortable position. If this was like every other time, she'd soon be fast asleep. That was Papi: play hard, grab a nap, then wake up and play harder. "All better?" he asked.

"Yeah, boss. No pro." She seemed to have recovered completely from the assassination attempt, which had shaken her to the core. Going into battle was one thing. One was all amped and hyped up and everything. But to just be doing your thing and have a bullet come your way? _Definitely_ unsettling.

But this was Papi, and her natural good nature had reasserted itself. He hugged her a bit closer, and she settled in even more. He knew he would've taken it badly had something happened to her. Miia didn't take exception; she'd come to accept the harpy, not as competition, but almost as a surrogate child. Like Suu.

Come to think of it, where was Suu, anyway?

The three of them were still lounging on the couch. Cerea was polishing her sword, over by the corner. Saitama was over by one now-heavily-reinforced window, alternating between trying to raise his friends (so far unsuccessfully), and feeling very useless. Here he was, as strong as he was, and there didn't seem to be anything for him to do.

Upstairs: Shinichi had also retired to his room, and was in deep communication with Migi. Given how easily Rachnera had been able to spy on him earlier, he was using the bone-conduction method again. _{{I think she suspects.}}_

 _{{If that's as far as it goes, then it should not matter. Do you give me authorization to use lethal force if it does go farther?}}_

 _{{NO, I do NOT. A.) we're guests here, B.) that would be the most complete and utter giveaway I can think of, and C.) it shouldn't ever come to that if we're careful. So, no._

 _{{Now. What did you sense back there, at that gym?}}_

 _{{As I said, there was evidence of gunfire. However, you should not discount the possibility that it was not humans doing the firing.}}_

He straightened up, abruptly. That thought honestly hadn't occurred to him. _{{Sooo…it might've been the_ _liminals_ _shooting the guns?}}_

 _{{I am unaware of any physical law that says they_ _can't_ _. And, anyway, even if there was, in a survival situation, desperate measures may have been called for.}}_

 _{{I'm pretty sure Polt didn't have any guns there at the gym…but somebody else might've brought them in. These 'Orcs' seem fond of firearms…}}_

 _{{I cannot think of any rational motive for them to attack the gym, but they, like humans, do not seem to require one. Perhaps they simply got what you call 'itchy trigger fingers.'}}_

 _{{I doubt it. Let's go with your earlier hypothesis: that Polt might have somehow obtained a gun and used it in self-defense, or defense of someone else. You said you detected no indications of blood or bodily fluids…}}_

 _{{And I did not. Polt may be a very bad shot. That would be in keeping with one unfamiliar with firearms. Or she may have shot to scare off the attackers. But no matter how you look at it, two things are certain: the gym_ _was_ _attacked. And firearms_ _were_ _involved. As you say, it is unlikely Polt had any there; that only leaves the probability that they were brought in from outside. Outside attackers are the most likely candidates.}}_

Shinichi's mental "voice" was grim. _{{That means we have to go back there. Not Kimihito or any of the others. You and me. That way, you can utilize your sensory abilities to the max. After all, she's part of this…}}_ His mental voice trailed off. He'd started to say "family," but caught himself in time for Migi not to notice. He was wrong, but the alien organism didn't bother correcting him of his mistake; Migi had learned a lot about humans in his association with Shinichi. _{{She's part of this group. And finding her may also answer some other questions about what happened.}}_

 _{{And do you truly think Kimihito will let you go?}}_

 _{{I didn't exactly intend to ask for permission.}}_

 _To be continued…_


	7. Chapter 7: Before the Storm

Tokyo Destroyer: Chapter 7: Before the Storm

…..

 _I don't own any of the franchises mentioned here in this story. I DO own Ben, Lindsey, and Chaos, though. Suffer horribly._

… _._

Chapter 7: Before the Storm

In her own room, Touka Kirishima couldn't keep from pacing back and forth. No matter what, she had to get back. She'd seen Mr. Yoshimura and Hinami delivered safely to the Kurusu residence; given what she'd seen, this place was better fortified than anything on Earth, and maybe beyond.

But she had responsibilities back in Tokyo. The CCG would no doubt try to take advantage of the situation, as there were ghouls who wouldn't know better than to curb their appetites in this crisis. Some ghouls, who were poor at hunting, would take this as a chance to feed. Doing so, with the CCG on high alert, could be disastrous. So she'd have to make her goodbyes to Kimihito and the others, thanking them for their kindness, and somehow make her way back to Tokyo. Hitchhike, maybe? Touka wasn't worried about being picked up by some sociopath. That would quickly become _his_ worry.

Downstairs: There, on the couch, was her host. She went up to him, rounding the corner of the couch…and was thunderstuck by what she saw.

Kimihito was sitting on the couch, feet propped up, remote in hand, with Miia at his side. The lower portion of her tail was coiled loosely, and somewhat possessively, around his feet, the tip waving back and forth unconsciously. At his other side, fast asleep, was the harpy, Papi. She was nestled in underneath his left arm, her own wing wrapped, partially, around him. She had a completely and utterly blissful expression on her face. It was as domestic a scene as Touka had ever seen…

 _Father, mother, daughter._

 _Husband, wife, child._

A scene she could barely remember, her own parents having been killed by the CCG when she was younger than Hinami.

 _Father, mother, daughter._

 _Husband, wife, child._

A scene she'd never know. A scene she'd thought she'd come to terms with never knowing, never having…

 _Father, mother, daughter._

 _Husband, wife, child._

Kimihito noticed her standing there, transfixed, a peculiar expression on her face. "Yes, Touka? Is…did you want something?"

Her eyes were blurring; she couldn't see. Instinctively, she put her hands to her eyes, fearful that her _kakugan_ might be showing, and ran back upstairs to the room she'd been assigned.

Kaneki, who'd been perusing Kimihito's bookshelf with Hinami, watched her go. Now what was that all about?

Maybe he should go see.

…

 _Somewhere, anywhere, nowhere, everywhere:_ "This is…quite impressive, Ben," said Rize. He'd been showing her around the…palace? Fortress? -that he'd created, here outside of time and space. She'd asked him what he meant by his earlier saying of "that little dickens," as it seemed important, but he'd redirected the conversation to the expansive place itself. She'd gone along with it, recognizing it as something he wasn't going to talk about yet. Just like Before. Odd, how familiar she was with him, and his mannerisms, given that she'd thought the whole thing a dream. "It's like it goes on forever."

He chuckled. "Funny you should put it that way. There's another thing I haven't told you about." He walked over to a blank spot on the wall. As before, he didn't seem to actually do anything, but the wall became transparent, then seemed to dissolve altogether. The matter of the floor extruded itself into a balcony, overlooking the ground beneath. "You only saw one view. Here's another, perhaps more representative one.

"You remember, before we parted, you expressed concern that I was in a rut? Just blowing up planets, one after one? I thought about it, and you know what? You were absolutely right, once again. So I've spent my time here productively. Come see." And she did, the sight she saw once again eliciting a gasp of surprise.

Because outside, in addition to the blazing noncolors and extrashapes she'd seen, her attention was directed to the tunnel. The tunnel that went on and on and on, forever. She could see no end point to it, no matter how far she looked, her ghoul vision surpassing human norm. But there just wasn't any end to it. It just seemed to get smaller and smaller… The chaos that was the time-stream floated overhead, as though kept out by some invisible force, like some walk-through aquariums back home.

But what claimed her attention was the spectacle directly in front of her.

Down below were a seemingly limitless horde of creatures, both human, semi-human, and completely nonhuman, some barely visible, even, stretching out to the infinity of the endless tunnel. They turned and looked up at them, their sight drawn by the appearance of the two. They lifted their weapons—everything from primitive spears to advanced beam weaponry, and what looked like stranger things than that—and began a chant: _"O! Ai! O! Ai! O! Ai!"_ Over and over. The effect, coming from so many throats, was almost mesmerizing. _"Dama kan! Dama kan! Dama kan! O! Ai! O! Ai! O! Ai!"_

"Ben? What's this?"

"This is my army, Rize. I've spent the last couple million years selecting, designing and breeding these disparate races and species into what you see: perfect killing machines." His look, as he looked them over, was calm and benevolent, a father well pleased with his children. "They'd rather fight than mate. You hear that chant? They're ready for a war. A really good war, one with lots and lots of spilled blood, or ichor, or colour, or what have you, on both sides. They long to glory in crushing the enemy, in singing songs about mighty triumphs and fallen comrades."

"This tunnel…"

"It's infinite, Rize. It never stops. It's a tunnel through the time-stream, through space-time…through _all_ space-times. So it never stops." And it was true she couldn't see any end to it.

"How…"

"One of the perks of being what I am, Rize. Come. I'll introduce you to the troops." And, just as she had so many years ago, in what seemed like another lifetime, she took his arm and was lifted off the balcony as he levitated them down to ground level.

The various beings, starting with the nearest to them groveled in the dirt—real dirt, Rize noticed, distantly—but several of them—at least those human enough to tell-shot her what could best be described as quizzical looks. Then, as one, they looked at Ben, as though receiving some sort of silent communication. They then once again resumed their groveling but now included her in their obeisance. At her lifted eyebrow, he said, "I told them who you were."

 _But_ _what_ _did you tell them I was, Ben?_

 _To you?_

…

 _57 minutes earlier:_ "Touka? Touka, what's wrong?"

"Go away!"

"No. Not until you tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong!" But she couldn't keep the sob out of her voice.

"Has anybody ever told you you're a damn poor liar, Touka Kirishima?"

Suddenly, the door was yanked open, and Touka once again grabbed him by his much-abused shirtfront and yanked him inside. He braced himself for yet another beating…

…but instead, she broke down in front of him, tears streaming down her face. She put her hands up over her face, but whether to stop the tears or keep him from seeing her, he couldn't tell. Probably both. She turned away.

Shocked beyond full consciousness, he reacted instinctively, gathering her in, folding his arms around her. "No," she quavered, "don't need you…"

"Of course you don't."

" _Especially_ not you…"

" _Especially_ not me."

"…can take care of myself…"

"I've seen you do it lots of times."

"I…I just…"

"Sh."

"Why…why did we…have to…turn out like…this…"

"I don't know," he said in her ear.

…

Shinichi crept along the corridors of the darkened gym. It was eerie how silent it was. "Anything, Migi?" The alien organism had abandoned its pose as his arm, and was currently spread out over a large area, eyes and sensors on the tips, probing for anything that might be found.

" _Nothing definite. However, I am picking up traces of genetic material. Blood, specifically."_

"Damn. That means somebody _was_ hurt." _Or killed._

" _Not necessarily. There are many reasons why such may have been left here. A client may have cut themselves, or suffered some injury not related to violence."_

"How recent is this 'material'?"

" _Within the last two hours."_

"Migi, I am authorizing the use of force up to and possibly including, depending upon the circumstances, lethal force. If someone was here, shooting guns…"

" _I understand,"_ said the alien. _"I also understand that such force is to be used primarily for defense. Now. I am sensing a carefully concealed entrance just up ahead, about thirty meters. It is locked, but that should pose no problem for us."_ And it didn't, the alien simply insinuating himself into the locking mechanism and activating the electronic mechanism from within. The trap door irised open, to reveal a completely black aperture. "Okay," Shinichi said, "Now what? I don't suppose you can provide us with any light, could you?"

" _Actually, I can."_ And his right hand began to glow a bluish-white light: bioluminescence. _"But it will not be very much, nor for very long. Your body's resources won't allow for it."_

"Then we'll be quick." He levered himself into the hole—which was obviously designed for larger creatures than himself—and climbed down the ladder.

" _Ouch! Watch it!"_

"Sorry, but I have to use two hands." But the room below the gym proved to be fairly close to the top, and soon, Shinichi and Migi found themselves in a smallish circular room with eight doorways spread evenly around its circumference. "Okay. Any idea which way to go?"

" _Unfortunately, no. I am no longer sensing the spoor I mentioned. However, if you notice, three of these corridors appear to have been used more so than the others."_

"Hm. Yeah." Now that his attention was drawn to it… "So whoever came down this way probably took one of those?"

" _Not necessarily. It could easily be one less used, or used not at all. If it was an emergency situation, they may have used a corridor not specified for general use."_

"Anybody ever tell you you're infuriating, sometimes?"

" _Yes. You."_

"Oh." He looked around, trying to figure out with one to choose from. The road less traveled, maybe? Or…not? "Okay. Can you tell me, of the paths most traveled, which one has been traveled the least?"

" _I am interested in hearing the train of thought that led you to that deduction."_

"Any emergency corridor would require some maintenance. Maybe not a lot, but some. But it wouldn't be used much. Just checked every now and then. So…"

" _It will also probably be booby-trapped."_

"That," he said calmly, "is where you come in."

…

Touka came to her full senses sitting on her bed with Kaneki holding her. "What…"

He released her, hearing her recovery in her voice. He didn't say anything.

For a long time, neither of them said anything, but just sat, side by side, on the bed. Then, finally, she said, "Get out."

Without a word, he got up and headed for the door. Just as he got to it, the sound of her voice made him pause. "Thank you, Kaneki." So low was her voice, he could barely hear her.

Still without saying anything, or even looking around, he opened the door and left.

 _Now why did I do that?_

…

" _I sincerely hope you aren't expecting_ _me_ _to go ahead of you down the corridor."_

"No. But a booby trap will definitely have been left alone. Plus any lingering heat signatures, anything that changes the molecular structure of the floor, however slightly, should still be present. So any area of the corridor where the path goes around any suspect areas…"

" _Hm. Understood. You are becoming more astute than you once were."_

"You've taught me well."

" _I've certainly tried. Now. Let me see."_ And Migi concentrated his senses on the corridor in question. _"There. The path deviates there. And there…"_

They finally came to a larger room with a table and chair. Migi's bioluminescence shown weakly over the room…

In the corner was a curled up form. Shinichi rushed over, turning the figure, which was curled up in a fetal position, over with his left hand.

It was a liminal girl, pretty, twenty-ish, wearing typical gym clothes, soft leggings, and tennis shoes. Her furry head appeared to be partially canine, with ears that came to a point. Her eyes were closed, and she seemed to be in great anguish of some sort, obvious even through her unfamiliar features. As they watched, she groaned weakly, and shivered, curling up even more. "Migi? Is this Polt?"

" _Having never seen her, I have no idea. But from the description we were given, I would say there's a strong probability of it."_

"What's wrong with her? Is she wounded?"

" _I don't think so. But she is obviously suffering from some malady. We had best get her back to Kimihito's dwelling. Perhaps his Ms. Smith will have some answers."_

He picked up the girl, grinning. "I doubt either of them would appreciate you using the possessive."

" _What is, is. Now let us get back before something decidedly unpleasant leaps at us from the shadows. I've all I'll be able to do to help you carry this dead weight AND climb back up that ladder."_ Even as he spoke, the girl groaned again, shivering in his arms. _"And I doubt we need to linger, anyway, if this night's mission is to be as productive as you'd hoped. Whatever is wrong with her appears to be getting worse."_

…

Kimihito was still sitting on the couch, with Miia drowsing on his arm and Papi deep asleep on the other. It was a very pleasant feeling, and he felt himself getting a bit sleepy. Despite being cold-blooded, Miia was surprising warm…

The doorbell rang. Gently, he endeavored to untangle himself from the two, finally succeeding only when he was able to rouse Miia. He knew well how hard it was to wake Papi. "Miia, somebody's at the door. I gotta go answer." She let him up and followed him, leaving Papi snoring softly on the cushions.

To his and her vast surprise, it was Shinichi at the door, carrying an unconscious Polt. _"Shinichi?_ What the hell are you doing out there?" Ken Kaneki rejoined them, just coming from upstairs. So shocked was Kimihito that it didn't even cross his mental radar that his cousin had gone upstairs, no doubt with amorous intent.

"I had an idea. Here. Is this Polt? I found her underneath the gym, in a secret room."

Shortly, the entire group was gathered around the couch where the still unconscious kobold lay, with Kimihito holding her hand, slapping it gently. "Polt? C'mon, wake up." But the kobold girl just shivered and remained unconscious.

"What's going on?" Ms. Smith joined the group, attracted by the commotion. She made her way through the assorted liminals. "Oh, no." She bent down and checked Polt's eyes, which were dilated, rolled up into the top of her head. "Damn. She's caught a good whiff of something potent."

"Is she…I mean, is she…" He couldn't bring himself to say it.

But Ms. Smith just shook her head. "I don't know. I don't know what she was exposed to…it obviously wasn't some nerve agent, or she'd already be dead. That leaves chemical poisoning of some kind. But what kind…"

Kimihito looked up. "Perhaps…perhaps there's a way. Where's Suu?"

The slime girl oozed between the attending humans and liminals. "Suu? You think you can tell us anything?"

"I'll try, Master." And she oozed up to the unconscious Polt, placing her hands, then her upper torso, against the kobold.

…

 _One minute, 4.57 seconds, 32.12 nanoseconds before:_ "Lindsey! Link with me!" And he caught her outstretched hand, just as a soundless flash overtook everything…

…

 _Now:_ The Kurusu Household: Suu was shivering, causing Kimihito to be worried. He'd never seen the slime girl react this way before. "Ms. Smith…are you sure the terrorists had no access to nerve or bio agents?"

"We saw no indication of them. That doesn't mean they didn't have them."

 _Great,_ he thought. "Suu? Suu, what's happening?"

" _Burns, Master. It burns."_

"Burns?" What could burn Suu?

"It could," said Kaneki, just now fully comprehending the scene before him, "perhaps be an agent that causes a reaction with water molecules in some way. If it only targeted liminals, it would be a perfect chem weapon, since all life on Earth is water based. That might also account for how it's affecting Suu so strongly, since she's composed of so much more water than the rest."

Kimihito made a fast decision. "Suu! Break off contact! Get out of her now!"

" _C-can't, Master! Stuck!"_

… _.._

 _The Stronghold of Chaos:_ "Well, now things are beginning to get interesting," said Ben, rubbing his hands together briskly. He turned to Rize abruptly. They were still in the very thick of Chaos' troops, who were still groveling in the dirt before them. He gestured with his head at the teeming horde. "It looks like I'm going to have to revisit your Earth again, anyway. How would you like the chance to go all Spanish Inquisition on Kanou's ass?"

Rize's smile would have made a sabertooth tiger nervous. "I was beginning to think you'd never ask."

…

The Kurusu household: The other liminals, along with Kimihito and Smith, were trying their best to pull Suu off of Polt, without any success whatsoever. Their hands, feathers, hooves, and whatnot simply passed right through her. "We've gotta do something," said Kimihito, desperately. "Otherwise, they'll both die!"

Shinichi cleared his throat. He'd hoped it wouldn't come to this, but… "Uh…" The others turned to look at him. "I, uhm, may be able to help."

"Can you get them apart?"

"I don't know about that. But…." A long hesitation. _{{Come on, Migi! Lives are at stake!}}_

 _{{Yes! Ours!}}_

"Uhm, people," he began, "I…don't know any nonshocking way to put this, but…I'm more than I appear to be. Quite a bit more, in fact."

"Are you saying you have some, some healing ability?"

"Not as such. What I have…Kimihito, Ms. Smith, do you recall some reports, a couple of years ago about mysterious deaths out by the southern provinces and surrounding areas?"

"I…seem to recall something about that, yes," said Smith, guardedly.

"Well, I happen to have some inside information on the cause of those deaths."

Smith's eyes narrowed. "Would you now?"

"Yes. They were caused by alien organisms that somehow made it to this world, and 'infected' live human hosts, essentially turning them into human puppets." The others stared at him in shock. He'd have to move fast if he wanted to get his point across before the lynch mob formed. "The usual method of entry was through the ears or nose. The brain, of course, would be the target.

"But in my case, my organism was only able to 'infect' my right arm. He's intelligent, and, uh, very versatile. Not to mention kind of a natural in biology, for…obvious reasons.

"And, in the years since, we've come exist in a kind of symbiosis."

The others were just then coming out of the shock. "Uh, Shinichi? Th-that's a rather fantastic story…"

"It's no fairy tale, Kimihito. This would be a very poor time for it. The only reason I reveal it now, is that Migi, as I call him, may be able to help both Polt and Suu…if you'll let us try."

Kimihito thought. He thought he'd heard it all…but he _had_ heard of those mysterious deaths, deaths the government had clamped down on.

And if true, there was no time to require proof or put it up for a vote. He moved away from the two liminals. "If you can save 'em, do it."

Shinichi came alongside Suu, who'd squelched to her knees beside Polt. _{{Migi, it's now or never. Do your stuff.}}_ And he placed his right hand on Polt's supine body.

The others gasped as one when his hand _deformed,_ stretching out over the body of the prostrate Polt, with tendrils reaching up onto and into Suu. After a moment, he spoke. "You were right, Kaneki. Something's trying to crystalize the water in their systems. Migi?" he asked aloud, "what are you sensing? Can you do anything?"

The others jumped as a tiny, tinny voice came from his hand. _"I am attempting to isolate the agent. It appears to be based on certain plant chemicals…those would be the hardest to resist, being largely natural in origin. But I believe I can break its structure down. However, they have both lost a lot of fluid. I will need a bucket of water. No, make that three each. And a couple of bedpans."_

"Bedpans?"

" _The residue will have to be flushed out of their systems. There is really only one way of doing that, given the state of your primitive—I mean to say, with your biological systems the way they are. I can transfer the water through the slime girl, who can then transfer it into Polt."_

Kimihito turned to the others. "Well, you heard the alien. Get two bedpans, and unlock the water cabinet. Bring at least four cases. No, make that six."

…

 _Space, the not-so-final frontier:_ Rize was holding hands with Bed as they flew through space at an unguessable velocity, zeroing in on (she supposed) Earth. "But Ben, I thought you said you'd destroyed the planet? Is this that 'time folding' you mentioned?"

"Eeh, sorta kinda maybe. Except I'm not the one who folded it. Well, not exactly." For the first time, the notion arose in Rize's mind that someone like Ben might, just might, have some powerful opponents. In fact, it would be surprising if he didn't.

Thinking that, she gripped his hand a little harder. Ben might not be the only god in creation, or even the most powerful, but, whatever he was, god or not, he belonged to _her,_ dammit.

 _But Ben…what am I, to you?_

"There. Right up ahead. Right on schedule." And she could see the planet, blue-green with white fluffy clouds. They were approaching from the night side, so the lights from the city stood out, static fireworks displays. "And there. Tokyo." He'd provided her with a one-piece jumpsuit that, while not very flattering, nonetheless gave her complete freedom of movement. "Now…"

She shook her head, there in the airless void of space. She still hadn't let go of his arm, and found herself oddly reluctant to do so. Of course, that was only because she might otherwise drift off into the airless void of space. Of course. "So. Now to find this bastard…"

"Oh, I'll help you with that. I need to check on a few things, anyway." He rubbed his chin, thoughtfully. "This world _should_ be nothing but cosmic rubble. I'm pretty sure I know why…and if so," abruptly he grinned a positively feral grin, "then…let's just say that's where things will get interesting."

Akihiro Kanou was deep within his fortified bunker when a golden flash signaled an end to his privacy. "You," he said, once his vision returned.

"Me," said Rize.

Kanou glanced over at Ben, and licked his lips. "You're both already too l-*" Then his eyes widened as he realized that the cyanide capsule in his false tooth was no longer there.

"Oh, come now, doctor. Did you really think it was going to be that easy?" Ben said. "Also, don't bother going for any of your hidden _quinques._ You'll find they, too, have become pockets of air."

"I see. You've an…interesting friend." He paused a moment, gathering himself, standing as straight as he could, given the fact that his knees were shaking. He lifted his chin. "What I did, I did in the service of both man and ghoul-kind. I've…I've no regrets." And he braced himself.

"You will have," snarled Rize.

It took Akihiro Kanou a long, long time to die. But to his credit, he never once begged for mercy.

…

Back at the Kurusu household: Saitama had finally punched in a button and been rewarded with more than a robotic voice stating all circuits, yadda yadda, yadda. This number, however, belonged to someone he'd had differences with, in the past. _"Yes?"_ said a voice on the other end.

"Tatsumaki? Saitama here. Are you aware of what's been going on in Tokyo? Or, I suppose I should say, what remains of Tokyo?"

"' _Remains'? What do you mean?"_

"Haven't you been watching the news feeds? Something happened in Tokyo, something like a bomb. It did a number on the entire city."

" _I'm on vacation. What happened?"_

"We don't know. Some people are calling it a bomb, but it didn't behave like one. Have you seen anything of Genos or Silver Fang? I haven't been able to reach them."

" _Hmph. So you thought of me last, huh? Well, that's flattering, Caped Baldy,"_ she said, using his "hero" name, that the Heroes' Association had given him. He sighed. She did that just to annoy him, of course.

"Okay, sorry I intruded upon your vacation, then. Some theories say it could be a nuclear monster of some sort. We've faced stranger. I'll just deal with it myself." Then he had a sly thought. "I just wanted to make sure you were safe. You know, what happened in Tokyo could happen anywhere, and since I couldn't raise anyone, I was afraid it might have happened there too. But it didn't, and you're okay, so…"

" _Hold it. You called to make sure I was 'safe'? That's pretty condescending of you, Baldy."_

"Yes, well…."

" _No yeses and no wells. Where are you now?"_

"Fifty miles north of Tokyo. I'm staying at my cousin's house. The government has rebuilt it into a virtual fortress."

" _Oh, so you're hiding out, eh? At your cousin's house, no less."_

"I'm on vacation, same as you. But I suppose if you don't see any reason to respond, I'll just have to take care of the matter myse-*."

" _I never said I wasn't gonna get involved. Truth is, I'm bored out of my skull here. So I'm on my way. But you go ahead and have a nice visit with your cousin; I'll handle the big, bad monsters. Or whatever they are."_ He quirked a smile as she hung up. Tatsumaki was actually pretty easy to manipulate, once you knew her buttons.

One more thing to check. He pulled up Fubuki's number, and, of course, got the recorded announcement that all circuits were busy. But he checked his GPS; she appeared to be not all that far from Tokyo itself, and headed that way. _Figures,_ he thought. The "Blizzard of Hell," who so sought to make a name for herself and her group, would be halfway to the scene of disaster, while her more powerful sister lazed away on vacation. Well, that just meant he'd have to go do double duty: damage control, monster fighting, and maybe some babysitting. Triple duty.

The Kurusu residence: Shinichi (and Migi) had already gone through three buckets of water (and numberless bedpans), before Polt began to stir. About the same time, Suu found herself able to disconnect. "Master…"

He put his arm around her, careful not to put his arm _inside_ her. Suu often didn't realize that most beings couldn't live enveloped by her. "It's alright, Suu. You did good. How are you feeling?"

"Better." Papi grabbed her best friend in a bear-hug, the harpy not really caring (or forgetting) about Suu's gelatinous nature.

Kimihito sat down beside Polt. There would come a time when he'd have to…talk with Shinichi about his symbiosis with the alien, but that could wait. He took her hand. "Polt? How are you feeling?"

The kobold girl put a hand to her head. "Awful. And…I feel…like I've wet myself. Did I?"

"You did, but it was necessary. We had to flush that poison out of you. I'm just glad we did." Tio was standing right by her, wringing her hands in worry. "Oh, Polt! We thought we'd lost you!"

"Not…that easy to…kill. But…hey! Where's my clothes?" She was wearing nothing but a sheet.

"Had to take 'em off. Don't worry; we kept you covered. But you needed to pee quite a lot." Kimihito hadn't left her side, her hand still in his. Miia was starting to get jealous. Again.

"Oh. Well. Guess that was…the least of my…concerns. Where…where am I?"

"You're here, in my house. We found you in a below-ground area underneath Klub Kobold. What happened, Polt?"

"Hard to…remember. I seem to remember…gunfire. Not sure who was shooting. Somebody…attacked the club. Screaming… I…thought I got everybody to the bolt-hole…but then, there was this cloud, like gas…smelled horrible…."

"Well, just rest and get your strength back, okay? You're safe here. Everything else can wait. 'Kay?"

"I can…totally get behind…that." And she passed out again.

Kimihito turned to Rachnera. "Rachnee? Get her upstairs and clean her up, would you? We'll have to get her some more clothes."

"You got it, snookums," she said, casting a glance at Shinichi. A glance that did not go unnoticed by Kimihito.

"Shinichi? I think maybe we should have a talk."

…..

The City Z train station: Garou waited patiently. He knew it might take a little while, but sooner or later somebody had to resume travel of some sort with the city. Too many businesses required it. So all he had to do was wait, and hop aboard, then hang on…

"Mister?" a voice to his left caught his attention. It was the little girl to whom he'd given the burger he'd found. She was holding up the box to him. Her expression was so… "I saved you some."

Just a little short of awestruck, he took the box and opened it. There, inside, was one half of the Big Mac he'd fished out of the dumpster. "I didn't want you to go hungry, either."

Still stunned, he knelt down in front of her. What to do? If she'd been an adult, he would've known how to handle it, but… "Kid, look. Ah, thanks but…I'm a bad guy. I'm the human monster. You don't need to be hanging around me. I'm bad news on two feet."

Quite innocently, she put her arms around him. "If you're a monster, then maybe the world needs more monsters like you. That was the nicest thing anybody's ever done for me." She pecked him on the check, then ran off into the gloom.

He stood up, still flabbergasted by the whole encounter.

" _Maybe the world needs more monsters like you…"_

A train sounded in the distance.

…

"So. Now what?" asked Ben. Rize had taken her time torturing Kanou. It had only been moderately satisfying. If only he'd begged, just a little… She wondered if Ben, who'd never left, had enjoyed the show.

He'd somehow either found or magicked up a bowl of popcorn, and was working his way through it as she spoke. She noticed that he didn't seem to have any objection to the blood-spattered bits of popcorn; if anything, he seemed to search those out, as if he enjoyed them all the more.

Hm. Maybe he had a little ghoul in him after all.

The two of them were walking through the remains of downtown Tokyo, heedless of the rescue teams flowing past them on all sides. The pair of them got their fair share of stares. "Didn't you say you had some sort of something you needed to look into?"

He scuffed his feet, arms crossed, the popcorn bowl vanishing. "I did. I'm debating, however, if now is the right time for it."

"Why is that?"

He didn't say a word, but just pointed up. She looked and felt her jaw drop.

….

The Kurusu household: Suu was the first to notice it. "Master! Master! Something's wrong!"

Kimihito had just been about to query Shinichi about his… _friend_ —when the slime girl interrupted. "Suu, can't it wait?"

"No, it can't," said Saitama, who'd maintained his vigil by the window. He hadn't changed his position a bit: he was still staring up into the night sky, one foot propped upon a stool. "I'm very much afraid it can't wait at all."

"What is it, Sai?"

"It's the sky."

"The sky? What about it?"

"It's gone."

 _Too be continued…_


	8. Chapter 8 Uplift

Tokyo Destroyer: Chapter 8: Uplift

…..

 _I don't own any of these franchises, though the characters of Ben, Lindsey, and Chaos are of my own creation. So there._

….

Chapter 8: Uplift

 _What has gone before:_ The Kurusu household: Suu was the first to notice it. "Master! Master! Something's wrong!"

Kimihito had just been about to query Shinichi about his… _friend_ —when the slime girl interrupted. "Suu, can't it wait?"

"No, it can't," said Saitama, who'd maintained his vigil by the window. He hadn't changed his position a bit: he was still staring up into the night sky, one foot propped upon a stool. "I'm very much afraid it can't wait at all."

"What is it, Sai?"

"It's the sky."

"The sky? What about it?"

"It's gone."

….

 _A handful of microseconds earlier:_ " _Now,_ Lindsey!"

…..

 _Now:_ "Sai? What do you mean, the sky's gone?" But the others had crowded to the windows, and each of them reacted in his or her own way when they saw….a shifting kaleidoscope of colors and shapes that had no basis in any reality they knew. "What…?"

"I'm afraid," said a calm, completely new voice from behind them, "that you all—this entire world—are outside of normal space and time. I'm sorry for the disturbance, but it was kinda necessary."

They whirled to see two strangers: one a large, powerfully built man with jet-black hair, wearing a blue oversuit with a black undersuit beneath it. Beside him was a woman dressed entirely in green, in a green tunic and pants, with a green hooded cape pulled around her. Right then, the hood was pulled up over her face, obscuring the upper half. Strands of coppery-red hair protruded from beneath it. It was impossible to guess their age, but neither of them looked to be more than twenty-five at most. "I'm Ben, and this," the dark-haired man gestured to the woman beside him, "is Lindsay.

"And we're directly responsible for your current predicament.

"At least, the part about you still being alive, that is."

….

Downtown Tokyo: "The time stream? We're in the time stream? When did you do that?"

"That's just it: I didn't. My nemesis has been one busy little god. _He's_ the reason this world is still here."

"Your nemesis? Who's that?"

Ben looked away, rolling his eyes slightly, as though trying to decide how best to put a complicated subject. "Weeeelllllll, actually…

"He's me."

…

The Kurusu household: Saitama, Shinichi and, more covertly, Kaneki prepared themselves for possible combat. But how had these strangers been able to get in? "Wait," said Kimihito, stepping forward. It gave Miia a kind of a thrill to see her Darling approach the strange pair so, so… _fearlessly_. "Maybe you could elaborate a little on that? What exactly happened? Where are we, and what's going on?"

"Your world was about to be destroyed by the very entity that leveled Tokyo. Lindsay and I waited until the very last moment, and then teleported this world into," the man gestured towards the ceiling, "this state of existence. We're actually outside of time, outside the universe you knew, outside all universes. We swapped out a lifeless Earth into the path of his world-killer beam. We gambled that he'd not take the time to determine whether the world he destroyed was actually the one he intended to destroy." He paused, shrugging. "I guess even gods can be guilty of _hubris,_ sometimes. Or perhaps _especially_ gods."

"Is that what you are? Gods?"

The man glanced at the woman. "We'll have to do for now. But what we're here about: our enemy is back. Right now, he's in downtown Tokyo, no doubt admiring his handiwork, such as it is.

"Unless we want what almost happened to happen for real, we need to prepare."

….

"He's _you?"_

"A version of me, yes."

"How's that possible?"

"One of your writers once wrote, to wit, that, in an infinite universe, everything one could possibly think of, and a great many things one would really rather not, exist somewhere.

"The multiverse is infinite, Rize. Hence, there exists a version of me that never met you, that never discarded his pathetic notions of right and wrong. A version that opposes me.

"He's my nemesis, my self-proclaimed adversary."

She was silent, thinking about it all. Finally she decided it really didn't matter all that much. She had a much more important question to ask. "Ben, something I've been meaning to ask you for some time now." Hordes of emergency responders were still rushing past them, but neither of the pair took any heed of the scurrying humans. They were beneath their notice.

"Hm? What's that?"

She turned to him. "You've gone to a lot of trouble on my behalf. Okay, I get that it was hardly any effort for you, but you still didn't have to do it. Why did you?

"What am I, to you?"

He looked at her, that bemused expression on his face, the one she'd come to find both fascinating and infuriating. "That depends. What do you _want_ to be, to me, Rize Kamishiro?

"For that matter, what do you want to _be_?"

"What do you mean, what do I want to be?"

"Rize, you stand at a unique crossroads, something few individuals ever get the chance for. You can go on as you are…or you can become something more. Something far more.

"I can make you into something far beyond your wildest dreams, Rize. I can Uplift you. You'll never be like me, but you'll be a whole lot more than you are now, more than you can even imagine being.

"And that goes back to my earlier question: what do you want to be, to me? What do you want me to be, to you?" He extended his hand out to her. "What do you say, Rize? Ready to take the next step in evolution?"

Without hesitation, she put her hand in his.

…

"People," said Saitama, as the strange new pair watched. "I've got to get to Tokyo. If what you're saying is true, we're in more danger now than before. Plus a…friend of mine is on her way there. I've a hunch she'll need help."

"Sai? Is this a good idea?"

"I'm a hero, Kimihito. That means more than just wearing the costume. I have to do something."

Kimihito saw there was no dissuading him. "How will you get there? It's a long way, and I'm sure the trains and buses aren't running there now."

"I can get there, trust me. But I really must go." And with that, he left out the front door. "Once I've done all I can, I'll be back. Okay?"

"Okay, Sai."

Outside: Saitama took one look, getting his bearings. He couldn't actually fly, but he could do the next best thing.

Zeroing in on Tokyo, he crouched down, gathering his arms in front of him, and exploded off the ground.

One Punch Man was on his way to Tokyo.

….

Rize was in extreme pain, but it was a good kind of pain, the pain of growth. She could feel her very nature, the basic matter / energy of which she was composed, altering, becoming something _different,_ something _more_ than it had been. More than _she_ was. "Ben…" she managed to gasp out.

He was right beside her, holding her up. "We might should have done this back home. You may need to recover a bit."

"No…I'll…be fine." She could feel the waves of power (?) coming off of him, going into her, changing her. Already, her previous life seemed ludicrously simplistic, now that she could _see._

It had been fun, feeding off the humans. At the time, that was all she knew. One's existence is bound by those things, those experiences, that one can imagine. How do you explain the color _green_ to someone born without sight, without even the _concept_ of sight?

But now…

Now the horizons of her _imagination_ were expanding. Except it was far, far more than that.

For the first time in her life, she _saw._

Even as she changed, she knew there was no going back. Not even Ben himself could take back what he was giving. He could take back the power, yes, but not the _evolution_ that was taking place in her mind, her soul.

 _So this is what evolution_ really _is,_ she thought, _not some puerile biological change._ It was similar to a primitive caveman hefting a rock, thinking how it might could be used to multiply his own innate force…and a modern day human calculating the mathematics of space-time. _Understanding_ it.

…..

One good thing, thought Fubuki, about the disaster, was that the roads into the city were virtually free of traffic. "Now, remember," she told the others, "when we get there, the rest of you fan out. Stay in communication, of course. I'll head for the heart of the devastation." She turned to Glasses. "You've got the Geiger counters?"

"Yeah, boss, right here." A wave of the stick-sensor. "Brand new. But so far, none of 'em's picked up anything."

Fubuki chewed a lip. "I hope there's nothing for them to find. All the news media keeps saying it wasn't a bomb, but I don't know what else it could have been."

Mountain Ape leaned forward. "Could it have been a monster that had, like, bomb-like powers?"

"That's what I'm thinking. Missiles, bombs…all those should be pretty easy to detect, in this day and age." She looked around at them. "What?"

"Er, boss? Is it really a good idea to get separated?"

"Going in as a group just makes the group an easy target, especially if the thing, whatever it is, has some sort of WMD-like ability. But we stay in touch. The first sign of anything unusual, we converge on it." Privately, she was hoping to be able to find and neutralize the threat without the group's help, for two reasons: one, she wanted the collar all for herself, and two…

…she was, frankly, concerned about the lives of her teammates.

Fubuki had, like Amon before her, concluded that now would be a perfect time for someone to insert a bio agent of some sort. There were many nations who'd be willing, able, and even eager to do a number on Japan. North Korea was her prime suspect right now: they had the nukes and motivation. Presumably it wouldn't be hard to come up with something else nasty to send their way. Although she couldn't think of any reason why North Korea wouldn't press on with a strictly nuclear assault. It would be so much more melodramatic that way, and the Powers That Be in that rogue state did seem to get off on melodramatics.

But that only meant they might launch another one. Having the group spread out meant at least some of them were more likely to survive, and maybe find out something.

Nobody ever said the life of a hero was supposed to be safe.

"I heard on the news it was supposed to be ghouls who did it."

"That's stupid. Why would ghouls bomb the very city they live in? That'd be like a cattle rancher blowing up his own ranch in order to slaughter his cattle."

"So who do you think-*?"

"That's what we're here to find out." It would be awesome, she thought, if the Blizzard Group could actually resolve this matter, take down the bad guy or guys. Their track record hadn't been the best in the world; bad luck and just plain not-good-luck had dogged their steps. Fubuki sighed inwardly, careful not to let the others see her do so. If only they'd been able to persuade that stuck-up Saitama to join up… She wondered why he didn't contract up with _some_ body. Made no sense.

The outskirts of the city hove into view. "Hold on, people." Using a new technique she'd been experimenting with, she levitated the car while bending the light rays around it, effectively making it invisible. She levitated it right over the heads of the MP's stationed there to keep the curious, the souvenir hunters, and the just-plain-weird out. It took a lot of her power, but it would be more than worth it if they could just catch the whatsis with its proverbial pants down. If they were successful, _then_ would be the time to announce their presence.

She realized that was a lot of "ifs." But it was important that a leader inspire confidence in those they lead, so she did her best to put up a good front.

And against a whatsis that could devastate one of the largest cities on Earth, they'd need all the confidence they could get.

…..

Tatsumaki had had an uneventful flight so far. Just then coming into the northernmost edge of the city, she paused a moment to get her bearings. There: the smoke still rising from the center of the city. She winced. Saitama hadn't been exaggerating; it was a mess.

She cast around with her senses, trying to find some evidence of a monster or human villain anywhere nearby. She doubted any of them—monster or villain—would have any reason to hang around in the vicinity, but it was standard operating procedure. Besides, it wasn't unheard of for villains to hang around the scene of their handiwork, admire it a little, maybe post a selfie on Facebook. Grab a burger or something.

Speaking of, her stomach rumbled. Flying that far took up a lot of calories, and even though she was watching her weight, she knew she'd best stop somewhere and refuel.

Damn. She'd forgotten her credit cards again.

Sighing, she started looking around the edge of the destroyed area. Maybe somebody had set up an emergency food cart or something.

…..

The Blizzard Gang set down in the shadow of what had once been a mighty skyscraper. Fubuki shuddered inwardly when she thought about what must have gone on here. What must it have been like for the people living here? Those that were left—Fubuki passionately hoped no children had been deprived of their parents and vice versa, but she knew that wasn't the way these things usually went—those that were left would, no doubt, be severely traumatized.

If a monster caused this, Fubuki was determined to show it no mercy.

"Hey, Ape, I didn't get a Geiger counter."

"I know I packed enough for us all. Anybody else missing any?"

"I'm missing one, too," said Glasses.

"I _know_ I packed enough for us all." He went to the car. There, on the floorboards of the rear seat, were two counters. He patted his pockets. "Who's got the keys?" Everybody shrugged. "I thought you had 'em."

"Oh, snap." He turned to Fubuki, who was still surveying the devastation. "Uh, boss?"

"Hm? What is it?" She was still standing before the fractured wall, feeling it, trying to see if her powers could tell her anything.

"Er, uh, I, uh, left two Geiger counters locked in the car. Along with the keys. Could, uh, you….?"

Fubuki sighed, closing her eyes and leaning her head against the broken wall. _Maybe I should just give up and become an adult video star._

… _._

Saitama's initial leap carried him a good fifteen miles. At this rate, he'd be in Tokyo in minutes.

A while back, he'd learned a little trick. Rather than just blindly leaping, he'd learned to use his cape as a kind of directional parachute, an air-rudder or flap, such as airplanes had. It wouldn't hold him up, of course, but he could, by shifting it one way, then another, control the direction of his flight, and land closer to the areas he'd intended. It took a bit of skill, but he'd practiced out in unpopulated areas. He'd gotten quite good at it.

There: the outskirts of Tokyo. He was amazed at the sheer amount of destruction. Whoever, whatever did this would be a worthy foe indeed. They might actually require more than one punch.

He landed on the outskirts of the city, looking around, getting his bearings. The epicenter appeared to be several miles inward. Rather than leap, he began running in that direction…

…..

"Alright," said Kimihito, back at his home, "you say we've got to prepare. Why us? From what you say, there's no way any of us have anything like the power required here."

The one who'd called himself Ben turned and briefly glanced at the one he'd introduced as Lindsey—and replied, "That is true. However, I—make that we—can sense probabilities, to a certain degree. This group is going to be pivotal in deciding this matter…one way or another.

"But I have to warn you: some of you may not survive.

"In any case, we can boost your power levels up to a point where it won't be such an uneven contest. You won't be able to go up against Chaos himself, but you will be able to hold your own with…others."

"So he's not alone?"

"No. He came for…" And here he turned his gaze upon Kaneki. "He came for Rize Kamishiro." Kaneki started. "Some of you may already be familiar with her.

"They apparently have some kind of relationship, though exactly what, I couldn't say."

"Rize," muttered Kaneki. "I thought she was dead." Standing beside him, Touka took his arm, shook her head ever so slightly: _don't let on, Kaneki. Ever._

But Kimihito noticed. He turned to his cousin. "You know this person?"

"Let's just say…we've met. And if she's back in the picture…he's right. Things are about to get a whole lot worse."

"Who is she?"

"It's not so much what she is," Ben interjected, before Kaneki could say anything, "as it is what she's becoming."

"What's that?" Kaneki was almost afraid of the answer, though he'd already half-guessed it.

"She's becoming a lot more than she was."

…..

Ben finally broke contact, and caught Rize before she could fall to the ground. Several EMTs rushing past noticed the pair. "You, uh, need some help, sir?"

"Oh, no. Everything's fine. My friend is okay. Just getting used to a few things." The EMTs moved off.

Ben half—carried Rize to a more private area. "Rize? Still with me here?"

"Y-yes, Ben. But…you were right; it takes some getting used to." Already, her head was clearing, and she could see the lines of probability that formed the invisible yet inevitable world an oblivious humanity—which had included herself up until now—moved and swam through every day. She could see those same lines that had moved her up to the point where…"Kaneki. He's alive." Even as she spoke, she could feel an inrush of…of…power? Vitality? Something…coming into her, accelerating her already robust vitality. It was an _incredible_ experience.

"Yes. The first of Kanou's experiments. But he was a bit of a disappointment to the good doctor."

Something like true love shone in her eyes. "He's mine. Nobody gets to kill him but me."

…

"Power ups? Don't mean to sound ungrateful, but what can we do? We're only a few people. Shouldn't you be taking this to the authorities? The EDF?" Kuroko Smith had joined the group, and they filled her in.

"No. In this, your authorities will be virtually helpless. Lindsey and I," he gestured to the woman, who still hadn't made a sound, "will take on Chaos, but, as I said, he won't be alone. So…that's where you come in."

"Alright," said Kimihito, resolutely. "What do we do?" _As long as it doesn't involve…my friends._

The big man seemed to sense that. "Only a few of you will be suitable to this task. And the power-ups, as you call them, will be tailored for each individual. Shinichi? You go with Lindsey. Kimihito, you come with me."

"Me?! I don't have any powers to power-up!"

"You'll still need a little something to survive what's about to come. Lindsey? You'll see about the MON team, won't you?" The woman in green nodded, the upper half of her face still concealed by her hood. Kimihito found that a bit disturbing. He wondered what was under that hood. But he followed Ben into an empty room. Once there, Ben turned to him. "Alright. Are you ready to begin?"

"It'd help a lot if you'd tell my why I'm so special."

Ben spread his hands. "I can't. Not because I don't know, but because if I did tell you, it would have the effect of negating your 'specialness.' Now. If you're ready—and I warn you, it may not be pleasant—take my hand." He extended his right arm, and Kimihito hesitated. "Kimihito. I know you have doubts, reservations. You don't even know if I'm on your side or not. I can promise you I am, but then, that's what I'd say if I wasn't, so I guess that's no good. But…I need you to have _faith_. This will enable you to, not only survive, but to…protect others. _Especially_ ," and here, his dark eyes seemed to bore into Kimihito's, " _Especially_ one other."

 _Well, you put it like that…_

….

"So. What now?" asked Ben. He and Rize were walking through the devastation of Tokyo.

"You know," she said, looking around, "You _could_ have been a bit more subtle when you first arrived here."

"What's the point of having unlimited power if you can't make a flashy entrance once in a while?"

"Hm. Good point, I guess. So now." She looked up, though she didn't have to. "I sense they're coming. Plus a couple of others." She turned to him. "You don't mind if I handle them alone, do you? I need to test myself, see what I'm capable of."

He looked askance. "You sure? You do know, they won't be what you've faced before. They won't be easy prey."

Again, she looked him square in the eyes, those self-same eyes she'd had a problem looking into before. She remembered the old tales about how it was dangerous, if not outright fatal, for mortals to see the gods in their natural state…but she was no longer entirely mortal, herself. "I'm sure. Though I will, I know…perhaps not be as successful as I'd like. I lack the experience you have. But I have to do this. I can't go on depending on you for everything. After all." She lifted her chin and smiled, "that would do a number on my self-esteem. We certainly can't have _that._ "

"Alright. But I'll…be around, maybe not visibly, though. I do have a few things that require my direct attention. But…I'll be available."

"Ben…you never did answer my question."

"Hm? What question was that?" It was sort of annoying; she knew he hadn't forgotten.

"What am I, to you?"

"What do you want to be?"

"You know, in anyone else, I'd call that response a lack of courage."

He paused a moment. Then, "You're right. I guess it is. Even destroyer gods can lack courage, sometimes. In…certain situations." He turned and faced her squarely. "I want you to be what you've always been, Rize Kamishiro. I want you to be…mine. My companion. My other half. My advisor, my connection to the world of mortals. Unlike you, I was never mortal, so some things…are unfamiliar to me."

Now _she_ looked away. "I'm…not sure if I'm capable of that, Ben."

He took her hand. "We have literally forever to find out." And then he did something that took her completely by surprise, even though she'd been halfway expecting it: he reached over and kissed her, full on the lips.

She found it was…the most exhilarating experience she'd ever had. And the thought flashed through her head: _whoever's known the love of a god can never again be satisfied with the touch of a mortal man._

She wouldn't have had it any other way.

 _To be continued…_


	9. Chapter 9: Family Reunion

Tokyo Destroyer: Chapter 9: Family Reunion

…..

 _Don't own, okay._

….

Chapter 9: Family Reunion

Back at the Kurusu's: Kuroko Smith was having the MON team go through their weapons. She'd been careful in briefing them, but even so, the knowledge of the two beings—beings who were, for all intents and purposes, gods-was…a bit of a shock. They'd met—and in some cases, fought—all manner of beings, but gods? Still, none of them could deny there was something inherently _different_ about the duo, something that couldn't be accounted for in any way they could think of, any way they could put their fingers on. Lindsey stood and fielded all their questions.

Then Zombina asked, "Why do you always wear that hood? It's not cold here." The others nodded; they'd wondered the same thing.

"I suppose it needs to be addressed, and now is as good a time as any. This hood hides what many people find disturbing about me. Back in our home dimension, my people were the subject of genocide by the Federation. This hood hides the most obvious reason for that."

The others reacted with surprise. "What it could be? I mean, come on. We've faced all kinds of critters…how could you be so different?" Doppel asked. After all, her natural form looked like nothing human.

"I'll show you. But I have to warn you: some people regard it with…distaste, let's just say." And so saying, she reached up and lowered the hood.

The others were momentarily stunned. Not by the difference, so much as by the unexpected psychic impact.

For not two, but three eyes gazed back at them: two in the usual place, with a third eye centered in Lindsey's forehead. But it wasn't as though this was all that different; after all, Manako only had one. But there was a sense, an _aura_ , about Lindsey…somehow they could tell this was the least difference between them. "So that's one difference. But had that been all, the Federation could probably have dealt with it.

"My people, like Ben, are—were—high level psychokins. In our particular case, we possessed what amounted to unlimited telepathic power. It's a bit more complicated than that, of course, but that is what terrified the Federation so. We were a hive mind; one single mind with millions of bodies. That doesn't really describe it, but it'll have to do for now.

"What they feared most was that our kind would spread, engulfing humanity like a virus, making them one with us. So, as a pre-emptive measure, they carpet-bombed my entire planet. It's now a desiccated wasteland, a gigantic radioactive cinder of a world."

"That…must have been terrible for you," said Kuroko Smith, digesting that. Her whole job was to integrate demi-humans into human society. What if it had entailed wiping them out, instead?

But, although she hated the paperwork, she had applied for the job, feeling it to be necessary. A job where her skills—to the extent she chose to exercise them—would be most appreciated.

"Indeed it was. As we were all one mind, I felt each and every one of those deaths as if they were my own." She turned those three eyes upon Smith. "But, as I was off-planet at the time, I was fortunate enough to be spared. And even more fortunate to stumble upon—quite literally, as it turned out—Ben, who, like me, like my whole people, was the product of an experiment in accelerated evolution. By a certified mad scientist, no less." A small smile. "Well, perhaps a slightly annoyed scientist. But, to get back to the subject, he discovered that, at a certain point, evolution doesn't happen in increments, as your current theories go. In Ben's and my case, it happened more in the nature of a great quantum leap, into an altogether different form of life. But enough of that. Now," she turned back to the rest of the team. "Let's see about those upgrades, shall we?"

….

Kimihito had never before known such pain, never even imagined it was possible. The only thing that kept him from yanking his hand away from Ben's was what Ben had said, about being able to protect _one other._ He knew exactly who the god was talking about.

 _I'll do anything to protect her,_ he thought squeezing Ben's hand even tighter. _Anything._

 _Even sell my soul._

…..

In the room assigned to the MON team: Lindsey was examining the girls. "Hm. There isn't really a lot I can do for you three, not without altering your basic nature. But…" She crossed over to Zombina. "Perhaps something I can do for you."

"What? There's nothing wrong with me!"

"I didn't say there was anything _wrong_ with you. But I see…I see," she said, her three eyes dilating in a most disturbing way, "I see you sometimes suffer from rigor mortis in the morning, or after any period of inactivity. Do you not?"

"Er…yeah. So?"

"Hold still." And Lindsey put her hand on Zombina's forehead, concentrating…

Something completely indescribable happened. But the effect of it was, Zombina found herself loosening up, her joints, which frequently stiffened up on her in the morning…it was like somebody had injected them with a shot of super lubrication. And she just plain _felt_ better than she had in…such a very long time… "Wow. I almost feel alive again…"

"There will be a side effect of this process: you will begin to feel more than you have. I know that in the past, you've lost body parts with no distress…that won't be true anymore. Like any human, it will hurt. But the trade-off is, you can also feel pleasure. Also, you are much more durable than before. Not invulnerable, however, I should stress that. But you will heal at an extraordinary rate."

"Hey, I'll take that." She saw no reason to tell Lindsey about that time, on her "date," with Kimihito, she'd felt pleasure at his touch, something she'd thought she'd never feel again.

" _It will be better than that,"_ said a voice in her mind, and she reflexively jumped slightly. "Hey! Get out of my head!"

Lindsey turned to the others, including a fuming Zombina in her stance. "Please understand, I am not 'in your heads.' To me, your thoughts—your most obvious ones, that is—are like blazing searchlights to me. It takes a great deal of concentration on my part to _not_ sense your thoughts. What you see as me 'projecting' into your minds is actually just me speaking.

"I'm not trying to invade your privacy; I respect that. But you'll need to get used to this form of communication. It's the most secure and reliable one we'll have.

"And that will be part of the upgrades you will receive."

….

Tokyo: Akira Mado and Kotora Amon were patrolling the 16th ward—what was left of it-, awed by the devastation. _Is this what Hiroshima was like?_ Akira asked herself. To her, to most people of her generation, she'd heard about the effects of the bomb, seen footage, etc., but none of that had actually penetrated to them. It had all happened to someone else, long ago and far away. Not them.

But this _had_ happened to them, and right now, too. She looked around, seeing the broken, shattered buildings, the blackened shards of walls…so far, they'd encountered no people, dead or alive. Akira was of two minds about that: were there truly that few casualties in this area, or had the ghouls already been through here?

Amon's cell watch bleeped to life, the projected hologram screen appearing in the air in front of his face. "Yes?"

" _Sir, we've got a report of survivors just a couple hundred meters southeast of you. I'm sending you the GPS coordinates."_

"The EDF doesn't have anything in this area?" He was still a bit uncomfortable at the change of focus.

For more than half a century, the Commission for Counter Ghoul had built, armed, and prepared itself specifically to stand between humanity and the monsters that would eat them. Its recruits were chosen from a select few of the most dedicated, psychologically stable, and most motivated young people selected from the ranks of many different services. Amon himself would have gladly given his life to protect the innocent; they all would have.

" _They have some units en route, but General Visor is needing some eyes on the scene, see what's needed most. We're stretched pretty thin, sir."_

"Understood. Well…" He checked the hologram, looked in the direction it was pointed. The route there seemed reasonably unobstructed; it wouldn't take him long to get there. And he knew that one of the reasons they were out in such force was to reassure people that the authorities were on the job, that they were not being ignored. Help was on the way. "I'll get over there and take a look, reassure them a little. Akira," he turned to his partner, "You continue with this. I'm gonna take a side jaunt. I'll be right back."

"No disrespect, sir, but you don't need to hold my hand. I'll meet you…" She gestured, "right up there." There was a part of a broken building that somehow reminded her of a medieval, gothic cathedral; a couple of gargoyles hanging from the upper stories would have been all it needed.

"You don't need to be that way, Agent Mado. There's a reason we always patrol in pairs. Your own father taught me that, himself. So, yes, I'll walk over there and look, and be back in," he consulted his watch, "less than an hour. Wait for me there. And remember, if you see anything, hear anything, hit that screamer." Referring to the device all CCG agents wore, that, when pressed, immediately established direct contact with their headquarters, live-feeding body cam vids to all units. With that, there could be a clear record of what was going on, and help could be sent more quickly.

Akira Mado rolled her eyes. "Yes, supervisor." _I do know my job._ But part of her realized he was just being, not only her supervisor, but also her friend.

She wondered, however, if he'd be so…helpful…if she were a man.

They parted, and Akira made her way over the fallen debris, still wondering at the effects of whatever it was. They'd still received no more information about what it could have b-*

"Well, hello, there, Akira Mado. I've been waiting for you." A young woman stepped out from the shadows. She was pretty, with long purple hair, wearing a shapeless brown outfit reminiscent of farm coveralls. Something about her set off alarms in Akira's mind.

"Am I supposed to know you?"

The woman smiled. While it was a pretty smile, there was something about it that made sweat break out on Akira's brow. "We've never met, but I'm sure you've heard of me. I'm Rize Kamishiro. I'm glad to meet you. Though I seriously doubt you'll be able to say the same, shortly."

…

The Kurusu residence: Kaneki pulled Touka aside. "Look, Touka, it's going to have to come out."

"No!"

"There's no help for it. If Rize's back, then you know it's gonna come home to me, sooner or later. There's no way out of it. Besides, you know me too well to think I can just sit aside and watch my friends get hurt. Would _you_ do that?" She looked away, crossing her arms, storm clouds gathering on her face. They both knew the answer to that. "I didn't think so. So I'll tell them, but I won't say anything about the rest of you. Let them think it's just me. That'll protect the rest of you, you just happened to, to, oh, hell, I don't know. I'll think of something. But I _will_ keep the secret."

She shook her head, face down, and hardened in anger. "So you're gonna be the Big Hero, is that it? Sacrifice yourself? That's a laugh. You know they'll turn on you, they'll _have_ to! Especially that Ms. Smith. You're a danger to them. They're already frustrated enough; you're a threat to them they can easily do something about: just fill you so full of q-bullets you'll sink in water. Problem solved." She turned away, trembling with anger.

"Just go, Big Hero. Get out of my sight." Off she went, into her room, slamming the door behind her. His eyes followed her retreating figure, and he sighed, shaking his head. She was probably right. As usual.

He wondered what it would feel like, to get shot with a q-bullet.

He found Kimihito doing something to a large, apparently featureless, white orb made of some sort of crystal. "Kimihito, I need to talk to you." Ben and Lindsey were busy augmenting the MON team and Ms. Smith. Kimihito wondered what sort of power-up the government agent was getting. Maybe the power to do more paperwork?

"Sure, Kaneki. Now?" The others were preparing the house, arranging the interior so as to be better for defense. Lord Ainz had augmented the reinforced walls with his own magic; theoretically, there should be no power on Earth that could breach them.

But they were not up against an Earthly power. So all bets were off.

"Yes. Could we discuss this…somewhere private?"

"Uhm…" _Sounds big._ "Sure, I guess…Lindsey gave us some sort of major league force-field generator…" he gestured at the sphere…"I gotta help her set that up in a minute, but I've got some time…okay." He followed his cousin into his room.

Kaneki thought. How to put this? But it would come out, if there was, indeed a battle. And he knew that if Rize was involved, sooner or later, it would involve him. So…better to tell Kimihito now than have him find out later.

Besides, like he'd told Touka, it wasn't in his nature to hang back when his friends needed him, no matter the odds. "The…accident where I was injured…I told you about that."

"Yeah. That must 'a scared the life out of you."

"It did." He backed up, crossing his arms and leaning against a chest of drawers. "Kimihito…I…don't know how to put this, but…"

"If it's about you being a ghoul, I already know."

"I…what? You _know?_ "

Kimihito rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah. Ever since the assassination attempt on Papi. You came down the stairs rubbing your eye—and, just for a second, you pushed your eyepatch aside. I saw your _kakugan_ , is it called? I knew only ghouls had 'em."

"But…but…how…you…said nothing…?"

Kimihito came over to him and placed his hands on his shoulders. "Listen, Kaneki. I don't know what happened, but it doesn't matter. You're still my cousin, still my blood. And I trust you.

"I _don't care_ what you eat. _You're still my cousin, and I trust you._ " Suddenly, he grinned. "Now, come on. Help me get this force generator up and running."

….

"He already knew."

" _What?_ "

"He's known for some time now. And he guessed about you, Hinami, and Mr. Yoshimura. He's known all this time, Touka, and he's said nothing.

"He…trusts me. And…I trust him."

For the first time in her life, Touka Kirishima was speechless.

…..

That evening: Council of War: The Kurusu dining table. "People, it's time to put…certain…cards on the proverbial table." Kimihito sat at the head, with Miia coiled by him, as always. Kaneki sat to his other side. The time had come to let the others know. "You all know about Shinichi and his…friend. And, of course, my absent cousin, Saitama…but that's no secret." He fidgeted slightly. The dining room table, for once, was not full. Kaneki's friends were upstairs, preparing for a rapid exit, should it be necessary. Kaneki had insisted on that, for Hinami's sake. He knew the others could take care of themselves, if matters should go south, but Hinami was a child.

"But from all accounts, we may well be going into a battle of some sort. And…" He looked at Kaneki, who was sitting quietly, wearing his usual black attire. Kuroko Smith and the MON team sat on Kimihito's right, about halfway down. Kimihito had told Miia and Rachnera, along with Suu. They might need help, if the government agent reacted badly to this revelation. Rachnera was in position to restrain anybody from making any rash actions.

"Anyway. Shinichi wasn't the only one with a secret, or a good reason to keep it under wraps. My cousin here, has something to tell you all." He nodded to Kaneki.

Ken Kaneki stood up, well aware of the potential consequences of this action. But there was no other choice. He bowed. "I greet you all. I've met you all, and I like to consider you as my friends. I know I am _your_ friend.

"And because of that, there is something I must tell you.

"I, Ken Kaneki, am a ghoul."

"So am I," said a voice from the stairway. Kaneki whipped around. Touka was standing at the foot of the stairs.

"Touka!" he hissed. _What are you doing!?_

But Touka came down the stairs and stood by him. "I'm a ghoul, too." Kaneki noticed that Mr. Yoshimura and Hinami were right behind her.

"As am I," said Yoshimura quietly.

"I'm one, too," whispered Hinami, drawing into herself, keeping her eyes on the floor. She was afraid to see the look of fear and revulsion, the _rejection_ , in Miss Papi's eyes.

There was a moment of shocked silence around the table. Then, Kuroko Smith nodded to herself. "So the files were accurate."

"What?"

"When the Cultural Exchange was conscripted into the EDF, I got access to certain files. I thought there was something familiar about you. So I did a little research. And found out a few things." She leaned back, crossing her arms.

"You'd be surprised to know just how much info on you is in the EDF's database, a database they've not shared with the CCG. Why, I don't know…and that bothers me." She turned to them, facing them fully. "Let's see…you, Kaneki. You're Eyepatch, right?" She turned to Touka. "Rabbit." To Yoshimura: "The Non-Killing Owl, sometimes just called the Owl. Am I correct?" She turned to Hinami. "I don't believe you've got name yet, do you?"

"No, ma'am."

"She's…a child. Don't…just leave her out of this." He was still stunned by this turn of events.

"Sir?" Zombina always had a gun on her, and now she surreptitiously reached down into her boot, where she had a magazine loaded with q-bullets.

A good soldier is always prepared.

Ms. Smith turned to them. "Stand down, everyone." She switched back to Kimihito. "Frankly, to be honest, if darling-kun here will vouch for them, then that's all I need."

"I do. Thank you, Ms. Smith."

"I'm off the clock. Call me Kuroko." She reached out and stroked his chin. Miia started to seethe visibly.

Hinami approached Papi. "Miss Papi? You…you don't think I'm a monster, do you?"

But the harpy just wrapped her wings around her, drawing her in. "Oh, Hinami-chan! Of course I don't!" She sniffled. "Now I know how your parents died!" She drew her in closer, and Suu joined them in a huddle. "I just wish I could have protected you from that!"

Hinami hugged them both back. "You are, Miss Papi, Miss Suu. You are."

….

The ruins of downtown Tokyo: "Rize Kamishiro?" Akira Mado's eye bulged as she remembered. "The Binge Eater! But that's impossible! She's dead!"

"As the old saying goes, it seems the reports of my death were a trifle exaggerated. Though not by much, I grant you. Yes, Agent Mado. It is me. In the glorious flesh." And she curtseyed, spreading her hands in an elegant move. Then she frowned, looking down at herself. "Though, had I the time, I certainly would have found something more presentable to wear. This is little more than a potato sack. But what can I say? That's men, for you. No fashion sense." Akira backed away as more memory flooded into her brain. She'd never met the being known as the Binge Eater before, but every CCG agent had been required to memorize everything about the notorious ghoul. And she was remembering…more than she was comfortable with.

"What…what do you want?" Fingers numb, she felt around on the handle of her attaché case for the release button, that would activate her _quinque_. The _quinque_ unfurled, and Akira felt a little better. But the being in front of her didn't seem to care, and Akira felt a stab of apprehension. The sheer _confidence_ of the…creature…in front of her was unnerving.

"Me? Oh, I've come to…have a little chat with you. Nothing big or terrible. Maybe give you some insight on…certain things. I can answer certain questions you have, if you'd like. And…perhaps I have something to give you. Something you need."

This had to be some sort of sick trick, thought Akira. Had to be. This couldn't be Rize, it had to be someone cosplaying, though why any sane or even insane human would cosplay as the most infamous ghoul in history was beyond her.

So…this was why agents always patrolled in pairs. "Something I need?"

"Yes. Are you familiar with the history of that _quinque_ you're carrying?"

" _Fueguchi_ - _2_? It…was harvested from one of my father's exterminations."

"It certainly was. That weapon was made of the remains of a mother, Ryouko Fueguchi. She had a daughter, a girl named Hinami. Your father cut her down right in front of her daughter's eyes." She paused, watching Akira's face. She smiled. "Now, in all the books and movies, this is where the heroine always says something like, 'No! You're lying! My father would never do that!' But you aren't going to say that, are you, Agent Mado? Because you know he would.

"And he did.

"Do you have any idea what that must have been like for that little girl?"

Akira backed up, trying to find a defensible position. There was no doubt whatsoever in her mind that the ghoul would attack; she just didn't know when. As subtly as she could, she hit the screamer. Now, every word would be recorded, and headquarters would have a record of this encounter. It would be worth losing her life if she could simply let the CCG know that _Rize was back._

 _Keep her talking._ "Well, what of it? What was he supposed to do? What do you _expect_ us to do? You _eat_ us! Are we supposed to just lie down and let ourselves be _eaten?_ "

"You might be surprised to hear this, but I don't really blame you for that, in principle. I expect human beings to protect themselves. It's only normal.

"But…killing a mother right in front of her child…don't you think that's a bit extreme?

"What would you have done, I wonder?"

Akira's face hardened even more. It took a supreme act of will to keep her knees from shaking; actually confronting a ghoul in the flesh was bad enough, but she was remembering more and more about _this_ particular ghoul and it wasn't helping. Plus, there was something _different_ about her, something slightly _unreal_. Or perhaps… _more_ than real? Akira couldn't put a finger on it…

And…

And…

And something inside her went cold when she realized the ghoul had a point. What _would_ she have done? "It doesn't matter. She was a ghoul and therefore dangerous. My father knew his duty, and he did it." _Two can play this game._ "It's not like you ghouls are human anyway; how can you be, eating us? We aren't your cattle!

"Doesn't humanity deserve to be protected from monsters like you?" _Amon? A little backup here wouldn't exactly be refused…_

 _I mean, if you're gonna insist on holding my hand, now's a really good time for it._

"Oh, of course. We aren't people, after all, just undead monsters stalking the night, seeking human prey." She rolled her eyes in an exaggerated gesture. "That's why Mrs. Fueguchi threw her life away, distracting your father, so her daughter could escape. Yes, just cold, unfeeling creatures. That's why you refer to us by number…and give names to the weapons you forge from our blood and bones. Could it be you're afraid of _personalizing_ us, I wonder? Actually beginning to think of us as _people_ , flesh and blood _people_ , were you to use our names? Giving us a number is so much safer, psychologically, right?" She seemed to turn thoughtful. "Hm. I seem to recall another organization, back in the bad old days of World War II, that also gave numbers to a people they regarded as a threat and intended to exterminate. Yes, much safer, psychologically. Much more efficient, too, as they could keep track of how many they'd killed. And, oh, hey, didn't they, in a few cases, make lampshades from the skin of their victims?" She nodded towards the weapon in Akira's hands. "What a coincidence."

"That was different!"

"Isn't it always?

"Tell me, inspector, how many CCG agents do you know who've risked life and limb to save a favorite _quinque_? More so, I mean, than they might do for just an ordinary weapon?

"I always thought that was just a little odd. But maybe it's just me.

"But let's put all that behind us, and get down to business." She rubbed her hands together, briskly. "Today, I'm going to give you an opportunity to put your beliefs into practice. You'll be the better for it, trust me.

"And, simultaneously, a little family reunion. How's that for efficiency?" She moved to one side, gesturing towards a patch of shadow in the side of the broken building. "Akira Mado, say hello to your father, Kureo Mado." She turned. "Come on out, daddy-kins. Your daughter's waiting."

Akira's eyes widened as she saw the figure of her father emerge from the shadow.

…..

"Lindsey called it a field of shifted probability. Any harmful or potentially dangerous thing—matter or energy—that attempts to cross it encounters the fantastically increased _probability_ that it won't go through." He was showing Kaneki the strange crystal orb the god in green had left them. "This is amplified to such a huge degree it becomes, for all practical purposes, impossible for anything to get through. Something like ten to the minus billionth billionth billionth power probable, or something like that. Meanwhile, harmless forces aren't affected. Anyway, that's the best way I can describe it."

"Wow," said Kaneki with a grin. "I'd like to see the Borg try to get through _that._ "

"Yeah, that's exactly what I told her." He gestured towards the white crystal sphere. "Whenever anything tries to get through, it glows. Harmless things, it turns green. High level stuff…it turns blue, shading upward. Harmful stuff—negative events, she called it—it turns red. The more red it gets, the more intense the color, the more dangerous the whatever." He paused while they walked away from the softly glowing sphere. "You, uh, really think this Rize is gonna come for you?"

Kaneki's smile disappeared so fast Kimihito wondered if it had ever been there at all. "Let's just say I know our paths will cross. She'll come for me…

"…If I don't take the fight to her first.

"And I will."

…

The figure of Kureo Mado shambled out from the patch of shadow, face blank, arms outstretched. "Brains, brains, braaaaiiiinnns…" it moaned.

"Oh, stop that," snapped Rize in an annoyed tone. "It's so cliché. She's not going to fall for that. Now, you know why you're here. Don't you want to say hello to your little girl? After all, it's not like you have all day."

Mado's form turned to Rize. "Shut up! I'm doing the best I can here! It's not my fault half my brain's rotted away! You just suck at resurrections, that's all!"

Rize waved his complaints away. "Well, it's a first time for me. I'm sure I'll get better with practice. Now. Get on with it."

The form of Kureo Mado turned to his daughter, who was staring, face pale, mouth agape, at the spectacle before her. She well remembered burying her father in the very clothes this…this…person (?) was wearing. His shoulders slumped. "Sorry, daughter. I was trying to make this easier for you." The whole time he spoke, he kept shambling towards her, a bit at a time.

That…seemed a bit ominous to Akira.

"D-daddy?" Akira wasn't even aware she'd spoken the word. " _Daddy?_ " _No,_ she thought to herself, this had to be a trick. Her father was dead…

…yet something about the figure walking towards her…reminded her so powerfully of her father: the way he spoke, the little gestures, facial expressions, the way he carried himself, his eye…

No, it still had to be a trick.

She turned back to Rize. "Is this the best you can do? Puppet some sad wax figure around, pretending it's my father? That's both sick _and_ pathetic."

Rize shrugged. "I do my best. Now. Let's see just how firmly you believe in those lofty principles you spoke of earlier." The whole time, the zombie Mado had kept shuffling towards her in that ominous way.

"What do you mean?"

"She means, Akira, that you have to kill me," said the thing in front of her, speaking intensely and rapidly. "Listen, daughter. We don't have much time.

"Rize's brought me back, true. She reconstituted my body, it's true, and there was just a little left of _me_ to infuse it with. _But I'm still dead._ Now, you have to use that _quinque_ to kill me." Still shuffling in her direction.

"Because if you don't, Rize's going to force me to kill you."

….

Thousands of light-years away and yet right next to them, Chaos watched their preparations. So childish. It was actually rather cute.

Well, if they were expecting an invasion, he certainly wasn't going to disappoint them. After all…

He appeared on the balcony overlooking his hordes. _"Dama Kan! Dama Kan! Dama Kan!"_

He raised his arms, his "voice" carried out over ethereal wavelengths. "My children! You have been longing for a war, have you not?"

The volume of the chant rose tenfold. _"Dama Kan! Dama Kan! Dama Kan!"_

"Well, I've got one for you!"

…

"K-kill you? What do you mean?" Akira backed even further into the shattered portion of a wall behind her, holding her _quinque_ before her in combat stance.

"Just like I said. You have to…put me down. Use that _quinque_ , use it now.

"Rize's still controlling this body. If I get to you, she'll make me kill you. So you have to kill me first."

" _No!"_

"Daughter, you _have_ to! You're the only one who can! If you don't, and I am forced to kill you…nobody else will be able to kill me. I'll just shamble around the world, killing people, always coming back, always regenerating, no matter how many times anyone else 'kills' me. So you have to do this! I raised you to be practical and strong; now's the very time you have to be!" His voice softened just a little. "If, if it helps any, close your eyes just before it hits. I won't dodge or anything. I have enough control to keep from that.

"Akira, I'm not really your father! I'm just a reconstituted corpse with some of his memories! And I'm almost to you! _You have to do it, now! Hurry!"_

With a strangled sob, Akira Mado swung the _quinque._

…

There are levels of reality unseen and unsuspected by mortal man. These levels extend to regions "above" and "below" the mundane universe perceptible to humans. To a human observer, had one been able to see and interpret what he was seeing, the one Ben was currently floating downward into would seem like a huge pit or tunnel reaching downward from the center of the house. In reality (or, more precisely, hyperreality) the pit was not sunk into the Earth, but into the structure of the cosmos itself.

He floated downward into the center of that vast pit, a pit ringed about with spiraling lights, lights conveying enhanced imagery of the world "above," the mortal world humans and others were confined to. Lindsey was waiting for him at the bottom. "How does it look?"

Her voice was sober. She had her hood back, and her face was scrunched in a frown of both concentration and worry. "Not good. See those lines?"

"Magenta K sub one. You're right, that's not good." The magenta spirals were all over the world, mostly centering on the most populated areas. "How long's it been like this?"

"About two hours now. I've been able to deflect or block the most serious of them, but they keep coming, and I can't find the source. And…" She turned to him. "And they're getting stronger and deeper. Ben, I'm afraid Chaos is about to do something we really won't approve of."

Ben blew out a sigh. "We have to try." He pointed to one spot. "That K sub one vortex is centered right here. And look: it's turning darker even as we speak. We were right; these people will play a pivotal role in the upcoming battle." He turned back to her. "And that means, there's going to _be_ a battle, an assault on the physical plane. An actual invasion. It may be by Chaos alone, maybe with or without Rize, but certainly by _him._ And Lindsey…

"Lindsey, this world, as it is, may not survive, in spite of all we can do."

….

Akira had collapsed in a sobbing heap as the two halves of her father fell to the ground. Part of her was disgusted with herself: she should be stronger than this.

Why _wasn't_ she?

"Now, there, see?" Rize was standing over her, _kagune_ extended. "That wasn't so bad, was it? Oh, wait, it totally was, wasn't it? But perhaps now you've a better understanding what it's like, losing a loved one like that. Hurts, doesn't it?" She patted Akira's shoulder lightly with the tip of one of her _kagune._ "Well, I'll tell you what. Since you were such a good girl today, I'll put you out of your misery. Now you can join your father in whatever afterlife awaits you." And she drew back one _kagune,_ fashioning it into a spear point, aimed at Akira…

"Leave her alone!" Amon leaped out from behind a portion of a wall, _quinque_ already extended, prepared to strike.

Without even looking around, Rize deftly caught his _quinque_ with one _kagune_ and smashed it to bits on the ground. At the same time, she wrapped another one around Amon himself, lifting him up high in the air. "On second thought, perhaps I won't." And she proceeded to slam Amon to the ground, again and again. Akira could hear bones breaking.

"Stop it!" Akira got up, reaching for her own fallen _quinque_ , but Rize kicked it out of the way. "Leave him alone! I'm the one you want!"

"You certainly are." Akira gasped as another of Rize's _kagune_ speared into her, breaking her leg _._ "That'll insure you stick around to see the show. After all, what better way to get to you than through those you care about?" Again she smashed Amon to the ground, then tossed him over beside Akira. He groaned, coughing up blood.

Ignoring her own pain, Akira dragged herself over to him, her own _quinque_ forgotten. "Amon!" But all he could do was pant, blood bubbling up from between his lips.

"He's dying," said Rize calmly, studying her fingernails. _Got to have these done, soon,_ she thought. Ben had just clipped them short. Typical man. "Major internal damage. One lung pierced, filling with blood. He doesn't have long to live. Better say your goodbyes." Akira turned to the ghoul, not really sure how to respond, when Rize struck a thoughtful pose, one finger to her face. "Although…although, I _could_ save him. I have that power. Just as I used it to reconstitute your father, so, too, I could use it to repair the damage done to him."

"It…you…"

"But you have to do something for me first."

"W-what?" _Name it._

Rize's smile was the cruelest thing Akira Mado had ever seen. "Just… _ask_ …me… _nicely_.

"Beg. Crawl just a little, Akira Mado. Beg me, and I'll save your friend. _Pray_ to me. Just a little. That'll be enough."

Akira slumped down, head hung. This couldn't be happening. "You'd best hurry. He's fading fast."

"I…I…please. Save him. I…I beg you." She gulped. "A-amen."

Rize seemed to think for a moment. "You know what? I was wrong. It _isn't_ enough.

"But I _will_ put you both out of your misery." Again, her _kagune_ shaped into spear points…

There was a golden flash, and Ken Kaneki and Shinichi teleported in. "Shinichi! Help them! Rize's _mine!_ "

Rize didn't seem surprised. "Oh, I think you have it exactly backwards, boy." Her force-field easily deflected his _kagune_ spear-points.

But Kaneki had undergone formal combat training especially designed for ghouls during his time with Aogiri Tree. Rize was a tough and dangerous fighter, but she lacked actual training, and Aogiri Tree had trained Kaneki well.

Plus, he was more now than he had been.

 _Attack in three dimensions._ With a bound, he latched onto an overhead hanging, stabbing his _kagune_ , not at her, but into the ground around her. He ripped the pavement up, dislodging her, making her stumble. He leaped to another vantage point…and this time, concentrated, and focused the power Ben had given him into a single sun-bright beam, aimed at her head.

It glanced off her shields, but she blinked, temporarily blinded, and stumbled again. "Nice. I see you've gotten a few tricks from your friends. Not that they'll do you all that much good." And she counter-attacked, swirling her own _kagune_ in a whirlpool pattern, blasting her own energy beam…

…not at him, but at the point he just then leaped to. As his would-be perch crumbled beneath him he leaped for another, stumbling himself. He heard her mocking laughter. "Oh, come _on_ , now, my son. You can do better than _that,_ surely!"

"I am _not_ your son!"

"Oh, but you _are_. My organs made you what you are. You were reborn…because of me. Without me, you wouldn't exist. What else could I possibly be, but your mother?" Another blast, which he barely avoided. "C'mon now. Admit it: you're a little proud of that, aren't you? That part of my strength, my will, and yes, my _bloodthirst_ , made you the man you've become? Just like in our favorite book, _The Egg of the Black Goat._ Remember our discussions? Those lovely conversations at Anteiku? Those are among my fondest memories. That boy couldn't escape his destiny, either. After a while, he didn't want to." She paused. In actuality, she didn't really want to kill him. She wanted him…

"On the inside, you're just like me. You know it. Soon you'll revel in it."

…to become…

"And your so-called 'friends' will be the first to find out…when you get hungry."

…like her.

He regained his feet, and stood facing the ghoul in combat stance. "I," he said, "am _nothing_ like you!" And again he attacked, drawing upon that bright core of power Ben had infused within him. He braced himself, using his hands as focal mechanisms, focusing that power into beams of destructive brilliance. He stood between Rize and humans, countering her attacks with his own, reserving his _kagune_ to counter hers. "Shinichi! Get them out of here!" Even with his augmentation, he knew he was no match for the Uplifted ghoul.

"Ah ah ah," she chided, "I've unfinished business with those two. You'll just have to wait your turn." And she leveled her own _kagune_ at the humans, the tips glowing brightly as she summoned up the power…

…and Saitama's fist smashed into her force shield.

Rize was driven back, her attack forgotten. She strengthened her field, but for once, Saitama wasn't holding back: these were Serious Consecutive Punches. Rize gritted her teeth as she was forced to channel more and more energy to her shield. The force of Saitama's punch was actually _increasing_ exponentially, growing with each passing microsecond…

Was there no upper limit to this man? He was actually _breaking through_ her force shield, something she'd thought was impossible. " _Damn_ you," she snarled, teleporting away. Her love needed to know about this, if he didn't already. This one might pose a problem, even for him.

After she'd faded from sight, Kaneki rushed over to Akira, who was kneeling beside Amon. She shrank away from his ghoul-mask, fumbling for the _quinque_ knives every investigator carried for just such emergencies. "Look, I know you won't believe this, but we're here to help." He retracted his _kagune,_ and knelt beside Amon's broken body. Then for reasons he'd never be able to understand later, he reached up and ripped off his mask. "I'm Kaneki. Ken Kaneki. Now, let's see what we can do, here. Shinichi?"

"He's barely alive, Kaneki." Migi's tendrils were infiltrated into Amon's body, attempting to repair the worst of the damage—and failing. "We've got to get him back to the house."

"Okay. Can you teleport us without actually moving him?"

"I can try."

Kaneki turned to a wide-eyed Akira. "Can you stand? No? Here." He helped her to her feet, letting her lean on him, hopping on one leg. "Hold on, now. You're about to find yourself someplace else." He turned to Saitama. "Sai? You coming?"

"I'd best not, Kaneki," said the man in the yellow suit, standing where Rize had been, looking off into the distance. "Hear that?"

"Hear what?" But now that Kaneki's attention was drawn to it, he could hear a sound, like thunder in the distance, growing louder with each passing minute.

Not thunder, he realized. _Artillery_.

 _To be continued…_


	10. Chapter 10: Wounded

Tokyo Destroyer: Chapter 10: Wounded

…

 _I don't own any of these franchises, natch. It's probably just as well; I doubt I'd have the kind of imagination required to keep these very different story lines going the way they should._

 _But I_ _can_ _do this, my humble best. Enjoy!_

…

Chapter 10: Wounded

The Kurusu residence: "Wounded!" Rachnera jumped up as soon as Kaneki and Shinichi 'ported in. He gestured with his chin at Akira, still leaning on him. She looked like someone had contact-tasered her. A ghoul, one of the very monsters she'd trained to fight, actually _helping_ a human? Actually _carrying_ her? "We've got somebody here in need of a splint," then nodded towards Amon's body, on the floor. Blood kept bubbling out of his mouth, and Migi was still inside him, pulling and mending, repairing, filtering, even cauterizing when needed. The gift of power from the gods gave him abilities he previously hadn't had. "And one who needs way more than that."

" _I'm going to need more time here, Shinichi,"_ said Migi, his strange, androgynous voice emanating from that which normally disguised itself as Shinichi's right arm. _"And I'm not sure I have it. I've stopped most of the heaviest bleeding, but it will take longer to do anything about his shattered frame. A blood transfusion will be needed. Perhaps several."_

"That…may pose some complications." Where would they get the blood? "Can you do anything with what you've got? Just to get him upstairs? We can't leave him like this, just lying here on the floor."

" _I am trying."_ At that point, Rachnera appeared with a stretcher. _"I am trying,"_ Migi said again, _"He has lost a lot of blood due to torn arteries and vessels. Much of it is spread throughout his body; I am attempting to reclaim as much as I can. But, even in a best case scenario, he will still need a transfusion."_

"What blood type does he have?" Kaneki settled Akira down on one of the sofas in the main living room. Miia and Centorea appeared with some plastic splints and bandages, and swiftly began to tie up Akira's leg. Akira grunted with pain.

And her leg hurt, too.

" _A."_

Kaneki looked around the room. "Anybody got that?" Nobody spoke up. "Crap. I've got AB. Any way you could possibly use that somehow? Filter it or change it or something?" said Kaneki. Making sure Akira was taken care of, he went over to where Shinichi and Migi were, ripping off his shirt. "Can you stabilize him enough so we can move him? We need to get him to a room."

" _About the blood, I believe I can. As to moving him, however, at this juncture, I don't think it's a good idea. He is not yet stable by any means; 'severe' doesn't_ _begin_ _to describe the beating he took. Almost all of his bones are broken, including his back and neck. Even if he lives, he will almost certainly never walk again."_

"We'll have to deal with that later. How would we do a transfusion?"

" _Lie down here beside him. I will take it from there."_

Kaneki lay beside the prostrate Amon, rolling up his sleeve. _"Are you sure about this, Ken Kaneki? It will require a large amount of your blood."_

"There's no other choice, Migi. Unless anybody else has any ideas?" He looked around. "Well, that's what I thought. So go ahead, do your thing." He put his arm by Amon's.

" _No!"_ With one bound, Akira was by Amon's side, her _quinque_ knife in hand. She positioned herself over him, heedless of the pain of her leg, which Rachnera had not yet fully splinted. She didn't know, exactly, what was going on, but she knew if it involved a ghoul and a human, it couldn't be good. "Stay away from him!" She alternated between keeping the knife trained on Kaneki, and on the other one, the one whose arm—make that _right appendage_ —seemed sunk into the body of her partner. Knelt over him, as best she could, in a protective stance. "Stay back!"

Suddenly something slipped over and around her upper arms, pulling them tight across her torso. She dropped the knife with a grunt, and Kaneki reached out and picked it up, while Rachnera, whose silk was binding the CCG agent, felt around in her jacket and pants for more _quinque_ knives, finding two. "Well, investigator, I guess nobody can ever say you don't believe in being prepared." Rachnera picked her up and carried her away from the scene on the floor, and back towards the couch. "Now you've gone and torn off your splint; we'll have to set the leg all over again. I just hope you haven't done any more damage to the break itself."

"Get her splinted up, Rachnera," said Kaneki, from the floor by Amon, "Then bring her over here." He pointed to a place beside them both. "Here."

Rachnera frowned, her sets of eyes all squinting in unison. "Is that a good idea, snookums?" None of them were under any illusions about the agent's ability to fight, even wounded; CCG agents were made of sterner stuff than that. If she decided to cause problems…

"Yes. I want her to monitor this process." He turned his head towards Akira as best he could, from his position on the floor. "That way, you can see for yourself that we're not trying to hurt anyone. Okay? We can't do any more than that." He shifted his attention to the CCG agent. "If we do nothing, he'll die." She looked daggers at him, but grunted assent.

She soon joined them, half-supported by Rachnera, by the wall. By this time, some of the other liminals had joined them, including Kimihito and Polt. "What happened, Kaneki?"

"Rize." Kimihito's face twisted. He'd heard enough about Rize that he really didn't need to know any more.

"Is he gonna make it?"

"Don't know," said Shinichi. "Migi's trying to stabilize him now, but it won't be anything close to a sure bet. Kaneki's offered to give him blood, so Migi's gonna try to infuse him with it, but he'll need more than just blood. Migi needs to rebuild some of the damage to his internal organs. He'll need nutrients. And Kaneki will need more blood."

"I think I know a way around that. Where's Suu?"

Shortly, Suu joined them. "Suu, here's what we need: this man is gonna need IV blood transfusions. Can you help us with that? Absorb some organic stuff and process it into, into, some sort of proto-blood for Kaneki to get into him? He's going to need a lot."

"Yes, master." They brought her some of the contents of the fridge, and she selected those she could best use.

"Uh, Migi? Something else…my blood contains a large amount of Rc cells. He'll need some of those to heal…but too many, and he could either get poisoned, or become a ghoul, himself. Can you filter them out? Or at least, most of them?"

Migi sighed. _"Of course, I will do what I can. But remember, I'm an alien master of biology, not a genie out of a bottle. How many of these Rc cells do you think he will need?"_

"Uh…good question. Can you allow them in, then filter his blood, like dialysis?"

" _Do I look like a nephrology clinic to you? Don't answer that."_ The alien gave another very human sounding sigh. _"I will do my best. But perhaps Agent Mado would have some knowledge about this procedure, that would be helpful?"_

Akira started at the mention of her name. But…"He's right. Too many Rc cells, and he runs the risk of turning." She chewed a lip. "The only thing I can tell you is the average number of Rc cells in humans and ghouls, what we look for in blood tests. Maybe you could, could split the difference?" _I'm actually talking to a man's right hand that just so happens to be an alien organism, as well my friend's only hope of surviving a deadly attack by a now-near godlike ghoul who, two hours ago, I thought was dead. Oh, well, if this is insanity, I may as well go along with it._

 _Come to think of it, me being insane is actually a best-case scenario right now._ "But…"

" _Yes?"_

"But…if you have to turn him…if that's the only way to save his life…if there's no other way…" She gave a long pause. They all knew what was coming. They could practically see her soul warring against itself in her face. "If you have to, do it. Just…save him, that's all."

" _As you have said, if there is no other way. Give me those numbers and watch me work miracles right before your very eyes."_

…..

The first of the invaders appeared out of a large tube apparently made of solidified energy or force that just suddenly appeared on the outskirts of Tokyo. They didn't waste any time; the slaughter began.

They appeared to be large, armored, fur-covered, only occasionally humanoid beings, but, in each and every case, fantastically overmuscled. Their upper arms (those endowed with recognizable arms) were thicker than many humans' whole bodies. They had no trouble whatsoever in lifting whole cars and tossing them about like potato chips. Two of them in working in conjunction could hurl a tank.

Some of them carried some sort of beam weapons, but many relied on weapons that seemed to be a cross between a spear, an axe, and a trident, with the outer tines wider than normal and sharpened, and the middle prong serving as the spearhead. These didn't seem at all interested in letting the ones with more advanced weaponry soften up the prey; quite to the contrary, they frequently jumped _in front of_ the others, swinging their bladed weapons, eager to rack up as high a kill count as they could.

Nor were they alone. Behind and above them ranged what appeared to be human or humanoid creatures sporting extremely intricate fighting armor that enabled them to fly over the heads of their fellows. These flying troops used beam weapons primarily, but also had access to an excessive number of missiles, both guided and ballistic. Nor were they shy about using either one.

No one was safe. The invaders did not discriminate between male or female, young or old, or even their own. Several of the ursinoids got caught in their "friendly fire." Everyone was prey.

The human forces hurried to set up tanks and mobile missile launchers at the edge of the targeted area. Their explosive payloads devastated the invaders by the hundreds. But it made no difference; the seemingly-endless horde of monsters kept coming.

And Saitama was right in the thick of things.

He had no trouble with the individual monsters themselves, but they kept coming. It was all he could do to slay the ones already on the ground. Yet he kept at it, his own superhuman reserves being put fully to the test for the first time since he became a hero, as one monster after another exploded in a geyser of blood. Moving so quickly as to be effectively invisible, he stemmed the tide, kept the main group of monsters back.

Then his superkeen ears detected the sound of another such tube opening, this one a few miles away.

….

Garou was coming to the conclusion that he'd wasted his time coming here. So far, he hadn't detected any indication of these notorious ghouls everybody was talking about. Maybe he didn't know what to look for. Then he heard the screams.

Okay, humans screaming _definitely_ meant _something_ was going down. Had to be those ghouls. Who else could it be?

He raced across the broken rooftops, leaping from one to the other as easily as a child leaps a puddle. But the scene below filled him with confusion.

He saw the, the…tubes?...the creatures were coming out of. They were certainly hostile to humans; he saw several men and women cut down right in front of him, by bladed implements. But from what he'd gathered, the ghouls were supposed to look like humans, and these creatures couldn't have passed for human on the best day of their lives. They were monsters, pure and simple.

Hm. So. An invasion? Maybe this whole thing didn't even involve ghouls. In which case, he'd wasted his time coming here.

These monsters were doing a pretty good job of being monsters. True, they were slicing and dicing humans right and left without any indication of so much as a shred of mercy, but, hey, that was what monsters _did._ No self-respecting monster even went _outdoors_ unless it possessed a clear advantage over its opponents, psychologically as well as physically. That was only natural. Otherwise, what would have been the point?

There on the rooftop, he surveyed the scene. He still couldn't really tell a whole lot; apparently, just a bunch of monsters pouring out of what looked like some sort of hyperdimensional tube. He shrugged. He'd had a little experience with those.

He could hear, in the distance, over the sounds of the humans being slaughtered below him, the sound of heavy engines revving. No doubt the JDF or somebody was bringing some heavy artillery to bear. That meant this tube must've only recently appeared.

These monsters must've been responsible for the bombing. Well, if so, that was just good tactics; nothing to fret about there. Oh, he guessed it _could_ have been a bit of a fairer fight, but, in the levels at which he lived, fights were almost never fair. No, these were just ordinary monsters, not the cowardly ghouls he'd come to teach a lesson to. Oh, well. He turned to go.

And just at that exact moment, he heard a shriek. Not the shriek of an adult, but the shriek of a child. A shriek in a voice that sounded familiar…

Down below, he saw the little girl who'd shared her hamburger with him. Something that looked like Bigfoot's Ugly Cousin On Steroids was closing on her, spear-axe in hand…

"Oh, _hell_ , no!" With one leap, he jumped down to the ground, placing himself between the monster and its intended prey.

The creature just grinned and came on even faster, happy it had a more worthy prey. But Garou wasn't called the Human Monster for no reason. With one blow, he smashed the axe out of its grip, breaking the primary arm that was holding it, but the abomination didn't seem to care. In its berserker bloodlust, it was impervious to pain. It just roared with rage and came on, pulling a sword from its belt, and slashing in the air. Garou narrowly dodged, and cracked that bone with a single perfectly-timed twist as well. Something in him reveled at the joy of fighting one of these monsters…there was just something about them that made their death seem _essential_ to him. He didn't feel any need to hold back.

The thing grunted, still undaunted, and came on, gnashing its teeth, clearly intending to carry on the campaign with its jaws alone. But Garou had had enough. Every second he delayed meant that more of these things would come pouring out into the city, and he had to get the kid out of here.

He pirouetted past the thing's flaying grasp, and slammed the heel of his hand right into the area over its eyes, shattering the skull and driving bone splinters into the brain, and the thing slumped. Garou leaped away, but stood his ground a moment; the thing was so full of vitality and blood-lust, he wouldn't have put it past it to survive even that. But that had evidently been a killing stroke, because the creature fell to the ground and did not move.

But in the background, he could hear the sounds of more. And, just as importantly, he knew that if the norms started shelling the area, nowhere would be safe.

He turned, grabbed the kid, and, with one bound, leaped to the top of the building he'd just come from. _Better view from up here._ Tactically, it made sense.

As he ran, he snarled at the girl, "Kid, where'd you come from? For that matter, _how'd_ _you get here_? And why _here_ of all places?!"

"I hadda find you, Mister! I hadda warn you about this place! It's dangerous!"

"Kid…" he said as he ran, "this may come as a surprise to you, but I _know_ it's dangerous. That's why I'm here! But you could'a been killed!"

"It's not that kind of danger!" she said, urgency in her voice, "It's worse!"

Worse?

…..

Akira Mado was languishing in one of the rooms at the Kurusu residence, her leg in a splint, still trying to wrap her head around it all. Ghouls and humans…and the liminals, too. She'd never had any contact with the liminals, so she really had no opinion about them, but so far, they seemed pretty much just like people. Odd looking people, true, but people nonetheless. But the ghouls? She _really_ wasn't so sure.

Someone knocked on her door. "Come in." A little girl came in carrying a plate of eggs.

"Miss Akira? I brought you some food." She came closer, holding out the tray. "Miss Rachnera says you shouldn't be putting any weight on your leg right now."

"Thank you, child." She took the tray. Hard boiled eggs, with toast, butter, and some seasoning on the side. She _was_ hungry, and began peeling the eggs, seasoning them with the salt and pepper. Plus they'd included some soy sauce. Even better.

"Miss Miia made them. They're kinda her specialty. Everybody says they're really good."

Akira looked at the little girl. "Don't you want some? There's more here than I can eat."

The child dropped her head. "I can't eat that kind of food, Miss Akira."

Akira froze in mid-bite. "Child…what's your name?"

"Hinami, Miss Akira."

Akira found herself pressing back against the headboard of her bed. "Hi-Hinami? Hinami Fueguchi?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"What…what is your mother's name?"

"Ryouko Fueguchi, ma'am. She…she's dead."

Okay, this was it. Here she was, wounded and weaponless, in the same room with the child of the very ghoul her father had killed. Hinami might be only a child, but she was still a ghoul, with a ghoul's powers. It would be no trouble at all for her to kill her. Would the child torture her before killing her? Payback with a vengeance?

"Miss Akira? What are you doing?" Akira was pressing up against the headboard of the bed, trying to get as far away from the girl as she could. She readied herself to dive over and under the bed once the _kagune_ appeared. Maybe she could use the pillows as a distraction…the window wasn't that far away. It might—make that _would_ —break her leg even further to leap from this height—it might even break the other one—but she'd at least have a chance. She looked around for something she could use as a weapon, all the while keeping her eyes on the ghoul.

"I…you…child…Hinami…what are you going to do?"

Hinami looked at her, as though trying to understand a foreign language. "What do you mean, Miss Akira?"

"You know what I mean. My father…your mother…"

Hinami's face dropped again, her face scrunching up in grief. She put her hands to her face and sniffled, wiping her nose on the back of her sleeve. "I…I know, Miss, Miss Akira. I…I gotta go." And she turned and fled out of the room.

Akira Mado watched her go. Part of her was relieved. But another, bigger part was saddened more than she would have thought possible.

 _To be continued…_


	11. Chapter 11: Decisions

Tokyo Destroyer: Chapter 11: Decisions

"Kii! Are you out here?" Miia glided through the grove where they'd left Kii, the dryad, after their last encounter. Darling wasn't with her; Kii wasn't too fond of him. But she felt she had to find her and alert her to what was going on.

Everybody seemed to be expecting a direct assault of some kind or another on the fortress Darling's house had become. Even with the shield, something about Ben and Lindsey's attitudes had given her some doubts that it would be as invulnerable as they'd hoped, at least as far as a direct attack by Chaos himself. Kii's forest grove was far enough away that it could be outside the range of the protective field. Kii herself might be safe, but from the way Ben and Lindsey had talked, Miia had gotten the definite impression that no place outside the Field would be truly safe, once hostilities commenced in earnest. "Kii!"

"Why, hello, there, Miia," said an unfamiliar female voice. Miia switched around in alarm; there usually wasn't anybody around out here except Kii and the few people she allowed to visit.

A young woman appeared out from behind a tree. She was easily pretty enough to set off Miia's ever-present "insecure" gene, with long purple hair, wearing a frilly dress in white and blue. "Who…who are you?"

"I'm Rize Kamishiro. Perhaps you've heard of me?"

Miia backed away, suddenly doubting the wisdom of coming here alone. She remembered what Rize had done to the CCG agent, Amon. "I certainly have. I saw what you did to that man!"

Rize nodded, calmly, her expression sober. "There was a good reason for what I did." She came over and sat on a low rock across the glade from Miia. "Miia, I'm not like you. You've been the subject of some pretty harsh treatment, being half-snake. I know about how your darling defended you, that time. That was only the most obvious example, and only one that you saw; there have been others, people talking behind your back. And worse.

"You know about the anti-liminals; I can tell you they'd stop at nothing to eradicate your kind from the Earth. The CCG is the same way with my people. They'd positively love a ghoul-free world. But if that were the only thing, I suppose I could forgive them. But it isn't.

"Did you know the CCG takes ghouls prisoner? They keep them alive for their 'experiments,' which I won't go into detail on. Suffice it to say they're not pleasant, at least not for the ghouls, they're not. Sometimes I wonder about the so-called 'scientists' who perform these unmentionable experiments. Perhaps they enjoy them.

"And if you've been paying attention, those weapons they use? They're fashioned from parts ripped from ghouls. I only hope those ghouls were already dead at the time, but there's no guarantee. A human doctor did that very thing with me, so I know for a fact that sort of thing happens. And if something happens once…well. But I was lucky, Miia; I was rescued. But I don't like to think about how many ghouls may well be in similar straits, being used to make weapons to slay their own kind, perhaps even their own kin.

"How would you like it, Miia, if some anti-liminal attacked you with a weapon forged from parts scavenged from your own mother? And think: those poisons that 'director' had in his possession…how do you suppose they came by them? How do you suppose they tested them? On whom?

"I don't take that kind of mistreatment lightly. You're a more forgiving sort of person than I am…but the simple truth is, the world occasionally needs people like me. It needs people who'll right the wrongs done to others. It needs people who'll _avenge_ the helpless, who'll balance the scales. _You_ need people like me. When forgiveness fails…when leniency is laughed at…when the villains continue to prey on the innocent… _justice_ is called for.

"Sometimes the world needs monsters _._ And I am just such a monster."

She shifted on her rock, leaning back, and looked at Miia and smiled. "But you know what? Right here, right now, I'm just a girl. Just like you. No battles to be fought, no wars to be won, no need for me to be anything but…just me.

"And…it occurs to me…since it's just the two of us, since we're just talking…perhaps I can help you."

"Help me?" Miia's voice was a squeak. "Help me how?" The ghoul woman's speech had been pretty convincing. How _would_ she feel if someone used her mother's body to make a weapon? And those poisons…they had to have been tested…

"You may not believe this, but I've wanted to meet you for some time now."

"Y-you have?" Miia didn't lack for courage, but she couldn't help stammering; considering what she'd seen, Rize's was an intimidating presence.

"Yes. You're one of the first liminals to experience deep contact with a member of the human species. Contact of a more intimate nature than, say, a commercial venture, such as ANM48—I love their music, by the way-, or simply being a pure exchange student. No, I think it safe to say your contact has definitely been on a much more familiar level. I was curious to see how that was working out for you."

Miia backed up a bit. "Er…that's, that's a little personal…"

"Oh, it's perfectly alright! We're both girls here! And I'm not asking for any _truly_ intimate details. I was simply curious as to how far your relationship has gone.

"You see, Kimihito and I go away back."

Miia's ears shot skyward. "You do?"

"You seem surprised. He never told you? Oh…well, uhm, I guess not…" Rize seemed a trifle embarrassed, "…it's, uh, probably not the sort of thing a gentleman discusses with a lady. _Especially_ one he's interested in. So, uhm, just…forget I said that."

Miia was speechless. Kimihito was fairly young, not long out of high school, and this girl wasn't very old herself, but still…

It was _possible_ , she guessed. "How…how, er, well…"

"You're confused. Don't worry. I shan't embarrass you with the intimate details." Miia's eyes widened. "But let's talk about you. I know about your quest to marry him. But I have to tell you, Miia…" And here she leaned over, looking at Miia closely, chin in hand, surveying her. "I have to tell you, you've already got a built-in disadvantage."

"What's that?"

"Kimihito's a leg man. And you don't have any."

Miia shot a look at her tail. It was true; and she'd definitely overheard Rachnera telling Mero about the time she'd kidnapped Kimihito, trying to prove he was just as fake as all other humans she'd come into contact with, and him mentioning that he thought her eight legs were "sexy." Something inside her shriveled a bit.

"Oh, but I'm sure that's not all _that_ important. Now. About the cooking thing…"

"I, I've been practicing…"

"I'm sure you have. But there again, you're at a serious disadvantage: you've no sense of taste. Suppose you accidently poisoned him?"

Gulp.

"I mean, it _could_ happen. And although I don't really know, I'm sure the penalties for a demi-human exchange student harming a Japanese citizen would be…well, let's just say deportation would be the least of your worries."

Double gulp.

"After all, lamias _are_ somewhat notorious for their use of poisons. Some people just might see a connection there. Oh, but I'm not helping anything, am I? Alright. Let's focus on the positive. That's an impressive set of breasts you have there."

Miia perked up. She did excel in that department.

"Of course, if that's all we're going by, Centorea's are bigger. And that's leaving Tio out of the picture completely. But she's not really competition for you, so there's no possibility of anything there. Oh, wait, they did go on a date once, didn't they? I forgot." She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "That was just pure business, though, I'm sure. Does she still wear that dress he altered for her?"

Miia felt as though her hearts were being sucked into their centers by a pair of color-coordinated quantum black holes. So miserable was she that it never occurred to her to ask how Rize knew all this.

"Hm. Well, let's see: the cooking thing, definitely a problem there. It _could_ be worked on, but… And I hate to be blunt, but in the looks department, I mean, don't get me wrong, you're definitely knock down gorgeous, but, compared to the others, you don't really have anything, I mean, _all that_ above and beyond.

"Papi…Papi can fly. With her, he can, too. Being able to fly is an ancient dream of humanity. She offers him the freedom of the skies. Plus—let's be honest here-, some men prefer younger girls.

"And she needs him. She's so scatterbrained, she can't function in society without someone willing to basically take care of her. Which he does, quite readily. You…might need to take that into consideration.

"If he were to choose anybody else, he might feel like he was _deserting_ her.

"Centorea is dedicated and loyal, a knight with four feet. That could easily become a bit of a problem, for, you see, no matter who he chooses, she's going to stay. She'll be a constant reminder…the road not taken, so to speak.

"Mero's royalty, and men have an inbuilt fascination with the whole 'noble princess' thing. I mean, look at all the fairy tales. There's a reason they persist in the popular culture. Plus, face it, she's loaded. All that's going to be even harder to resist. How many times have you heard him complain about finances?

"Suu can change shape, become anyone he wants. What man could resist that? His own harem…in one girl. She's very good at cleaning, doesn't take up much space—at least, as long as she watches her water intake-and very low maintenance. She can detect poisons, toxins, and diseases before they become a threat, and I'll bet there's no one who could stand with him in a combat situation better should it come to that.

"Rachnera is dedicated and streetwise, well-educated and personable, when she wants to be. Plus the bondage thing…I can tell you Kimihito likes that. Uh, sorry, talking about a subject I said I wasn't going to mention, wasn't I? Just…draw a line through that.

"Lala can defend not just his life, but his very soul. She's done it before. And that whole 'knight of Hades' thing…a bit melodramatic, but partially true and a bit of a turn-on, to some. How could any man resist a partner, a guardian like that?

"And…Miia…I'm sorry to put it this way, but you _are_ a bit of a klutz, aren't you? Didn't you once dislocate his shoulder? It was an accident, of course, but it could have been so much worse." Miia hung her head, her face as scarlet as her scales. "You've really been nothing but a liability to him ever since you came. I'm sorry, but I really don't see any way for you to win his heart."

…..

Kaneki happened to be passing by Miia's room when his sharp ears detected the sound of a sob. He went to the door. "Miia? Miia, are you alright?"

"Yes." Another sob.

He sighed, rolling his eyes. And they say men aren't comfortable showing their emotions. "May I come in?"

"No!"

"Well, I'm coming in anyway. You don't sound like this is a 'no' situation. You're decent, aren't you?" He cracked open the door, to see Miia in the act of throwing some of her clothes into a large suitcase. She took a moment to pick up one particular garment, held it up to her face, tears running down her face continuously.

"Okay," he said, closing the door behind him, "What's wrong? And don't say 'nothing.'"

"It..it…oh, I, I don't know how to put it!"

"What are you doing?"

"Packing. Darling will be better off without me. I'm nothing but a burden to him…"

He came over and sat on the edge of her bed. "Miia, come over here. No, quit the packing thing and come over here." She slid over to him and "sat" beside him on the bed. "Now. Tell me what happened. Tell me everything."

"It…it…I went out to Kii's grove, to, to see if she was alright. Rize was there-*"

" _Rize? You met Rize?_ " He looked her over in alarm. "You're not hurt, are you? She didn't hurt you?"

"No, no. We just talked. She…told me some things. Things about Darling, and, and…how I don't have any chance of marrying him, no matter how much I want to."

He pulled closer, putting his arm around her, the same way he had Touka, earlier. Women. It never crossed his mind to think of Miia as a liminal; to him, right then she was just a hurting girl. "Okay, Miia," he said in a businesslike tone of voice, "Tell me everything. Tell me what happened, what she did, what she said, everything. Tell me every word. Don't leave anything out, no matter how small."

Forty-five minutes later: "That…utter… _bitch._ " He so wanted to use a stronger term, but he didn't know one. He clenched his fist as his back tingled, his _kagune_ wanting to deploy. Rize had done some terrible things in her long and inglorious career, but this was one thing he'd _never_ forgive her for. "Miia, don't you see what she was doing? I know Rize; she likes to play with people. She was tormenting you psychologically, torturing you without laying a hand on you. The wounds she inflicted… But come on. You don't really believe all that, do you?"

"I, I…" But just as she was about to speak, Kimihito stuck his head in the door. "Hey, Kaneki, what's going on? Miia?" He saw the distraught lamia sitting beside his cousin. "What's wrong?"

 _Talk about luck,_ thought Kaneki. "Kimihito, you couldn't have come at a better time. Here." He got up. "Sit here." He led Kimihito to the very spot he'd just vacated. "Sit right there. Miia needs you." And he left.

Kimihito sat by Miia, took her in his arms. "C'mon, Miia. What's wrong?"

"I, I met…" _your old girlfriend(?)_ "I, I met Rize out by Kii's grove-*"

" _Rize?_ Miia, are you alright?" Like Kaneki before him, he rapidly glanced over her, checking for signs of injury.

Miia crumpled a tissue she'd been crying into. "I'm fine. We just talked. B-but what she said…it was all true. I'm no good for you, Darling! I'm keeping you from finding true love. I'm just a burden to you. So I'm going back home to mama. A-and, I h-hope you'll be happ-happy with, with whoever you ch-choose…" Another bout of crying.

"Miia, what are you talking about?"

"Rize showed me. I'm nothing but a burden to you. I have nothing to offer you. I can't be your bride!"

He pulled her tear-stained face up to his. "Miia. She was lying to you, hurting you in the worst possible way. A physical wound…you'd have been able to deal with that. It might've taken you a while to recover, but this hurt you way worse. Don't you see that? Don't believe her. You've got a lot to offer. You're kind-hearted, sweet, hard-working, and beautiful. Any man would be lucky to have a girl like you.

"And, uh…" And here, he hesitated, feeling the "stammers" coming on. "A-and, actually, speaking of, there…there's something I came up here to, to…oh, hell." She looked at him through her tears. What could it be? "It…well, here." And he produced a small box from within his pocket. "Here, Miia. Would you open this for me?"

Miia stared at the box. Just a small square felt-covered box, only about an inch and a half wide.

She took the box out of his hand. It was like somebody else was moving her hands. She opened the box…to see the most gorgeous ring she'd ever seen: a large oval multi-faceted diamond set in a white gold ring of two intertwined serpents. "I, I just never had the nerve to…well.

"Would you try it on, Miia? I'd like to see if it fits."

It fit perfectly.

….

They went downstairs. They both braced themselves for the jealousy of the others…

Papi was sitting on the couch, watching TV. She was the first to see the gleaming ring on Miia's finger. She immediately threw back her head. "YAAAY, BOSS!" She began kicking her feet up the way she always did when she was excited. "YAAAAY, MIIA!"

Rachnee smiled a lopsided smile. "Well, it's about time. What kept you?" Cerea simply smiled and bowed, to them both. "My Lord. My Lady."

"Huh?" "Huh?"

"Oh, come on," said Rachnee in an amused tone of voice. "What, don't you think the rest of us already knew all about this? Kaneki was wondering just the other day when you'd get off your butt and pop the question. Zombina was wondering if maybe you'd lost the ring in all the confusion, and should we look for it. Everybody knew…except for you two.

"So, congratulations. Now. When can we expect a little snakelet or two? It takes a lot of time and effort to weave a proper bassinet, you know."

 _To be continued…_


	12. Chapter 12: Powers

Tokyo Destroyer: Chapter 12: Powers

….

 _Don't own, you know. Onward._

… _.._

Chapter 12: Powers

Chaos's blow drove Lindsey back a full astronomical unit, but the triclops was not unprepared. Chaos might have the power of uncounted aeons, but Lindsey had the knowledge and experience of billions of individuals, astrophysicists, astronomers, quantum physicists, tacticians, and weapons designers, all functioning as one gestalt within her brain, all at her disposal. Even as she flew backwards, she used that velocity to whip herself around the sun. At these speeds, she rounded the corner of the solar furnace in seconds. Then she sent a beam of coherent light in Chaos's direction, aligning it carefully with a massive solar flare, conducting the power of the flare into the beam—and the Doppler effect blue-shifted its frequency upward into the gamma spectrum, its energy magnified immeasurably by her own velocity.

The plasma discharge hit the Destroyer with the force of a million atomic bombs. He laughed it off. "Oh, come _on._ Can't you do better than-*"

 _Wham!_ Ben's telekinetic attack caught him unprepared and sent him tumbling through the hard vacuum that was outer space. Already, working together, they'd been able to remove Chaos from Earth's immediate vicinity. That did not mean it was not in danger.

Chaos righted himself and once again faced them. "You _do_ know you're fighting a losing battle, right? While we're working things out way out here, my legions are devastating the very world you're trying to protect. And just think what Rize could be doing to your friends, oh, like, _right now?_ "

"Won't work, asshat!" shouted Ben. "I know what you're trying to do!" Another blast from him sent the _Dama Kan_ hurtling towards the sun.

"Good," said the destroyer god, as he tumbled over and over. "I'd hate to think all my hard work was just being wasted. And now," he glanced behind him at the rapidly approaching solar orb. "Maybe I'll get to work on my tan."

…

Downstairs: Polt was conferring with the Kobold Council. The recent reports coming in, of the attacks on the surface world, had stirred up their interest. The Kobold underground network of caves was far more vast than most humans would have believed, extending, in some cases, to caverns deep beneath Earth's oceans, but they were not limitless. The attacks on the surface could so very easily spread to below that surface, and right now, the humans and their allies were their best line of defense against just that. So far, Chaos's troops had not included any burrowers or aquatic types.

But the general consensus was, it was only a matter of time.

…

The Kobold Council was taking its time in their deliberations. Kimihito wondered what was keeping them; it wasn't like any of them had a lot of options.

He passed by the War Room, as he'd come to call it, and "overheard" part of their conversations with Ainz Ooal Gown via Crystal. The Overlord was in his stronghold in what he called the Great Tomb of Nazerick, in the New World, maintaining the spells of protection around it. _"My offer of sanctuary holds, but you need to know that I can only protect the Deeper Caverns for a limited time at this range. What have your two said?"_ Referring to Ben and Lindsey, who were not present. The "other two"…Kimihito thought it somewhat odd and perhaps a bit scary that the knowledgeable Ainz found more than one way to not speak their names.

And not just of Chaos and Rize, either.

"They haven't said a great deal, sir," replied Polt, acting as mediator between the liminal council and the Supreme Wizard. "To be totally honest," and here, she dropped her voice as though afraid of being overheard, even though with her ears, she surely knew he was "just passing by" right outside.

And perhaps she wanted him to "overhear." "To be totally honest, there seems to be some…problem between them. Something they haven't shared with the rest of us."

" _That is disturbing. Have you any inkling what it might be?"_

"None, sir. They, uh, don't seem very receptive to any indirect or even direct questions. And with the battle with Chaos' forces in the world-lines beyond…"

" _I understand. Frequently, beings of Power have problems not easily shared. But remember their essential humanity._

" _In humans, and most others, unresolved problems do not just go away."_

….

The detonations from the battle in the asteroid belt would have been visible from Earth, had there been any telescopes of any magnitude left to view them. Ben and Lindsey tag-teamed Chaos, but even so, it was a more even battle than it should have been.

The destroyer god had, so far, sloughed off all their attacks with disconcerting ease. "Oh, come _on!_ Ben!" he shouted, his telepathic emanations echoing across the void. "Haven't you figured it out _yet_? I mean, _come on_! I know you're a little dense, but this is ridiculous!"

"What are you yammering about _now_?" Ben asked, exasperatedly. The _Dama Kan_ had kept up a steady stream of patter, partly, they knew, to distract them. Still, Ben's curiosity couldn't be denied. Lindsey looked on in dismay: _Ben! Whatever he says, don't fall for it!_

"I'm not just some alternate version of you, I _AM YOU_! I'm you as you will be four thousand years from now!"

"You're lying!"

"Look inside yourself and see! You know that a part of you wants to be a big fish in a small pond! And all this 'Protector of Humanity' crap…haven't you always wondered what it would be like to be _feared?_ It's pretty easy to find out! Just go back to that Earth you came from and tell them you don't think they really need an Australia! Trust me, they'll fall all over themselves to kiss up to you! They did for me! _And I'm you!"_

"Never!" He readied another TK blast. Lindsey hung back. This battle was being waged within Ben's soul, just like Chaos had planned; she couldn't intervene, or she might cause the very thing she feared the most.

Chaos parried the blast, never letting up. "You haven't taken that inward look yet, boy! So I'm deliberately holding off on attacking you!" _No, you're not,_ thought Lindsey. "Just do it! Look inside your own soul! You'll see! _We're one and the same!_ "

For just the briefest of moments, Ben hesitated, looking inward. Then, he charged forward, tears of denial in his eyes. "No," he moaned, _"I am not you!"_

The two clashed with enough force to shatter a small planet. Curiously, Chaos hardly fought back. "And you don't need her!" he shouted, gesturing to Lindsey. "She was the last to fall, but the most satisfying!" His grin seemed plastered on his face. "And I can tell you up front, Rize is a LOT better than Tori EVER was!"

" _DON'T EVEN MENTION HER NAME!"_

" _Which one, boy?!"_

Lindsey flew closer, but for the first time since the battle began, she wasn't completely sure which one was her target.

…

The carnage from the last night evident only from the rooftop of the house, which they'd redesigned with walls and bulwarks, where Lala, accompanied by Cerea, Zombina, and Monako, patrolled, though Kimihito privately wondered what any of them could do should Chaos's legion's attack recommence in earnest. He knew Lala had some ability to move between dimensions, but none of the others did.

Truth was, in a weird sort of way, he wasn't all that concerned about any of them, should _Chaos_ attack. Worse come to worst, if the shield failed, they would most probably simply be dead. It was _Rize_ he was more concerned about. Chaos was bad, but Rize was downright _vicious._

A small mob had tried to form during the night, protesting against, of all things, his maintaining the probability-shifting force shields around their district. Many of them had not heeded his warnings about what lay outside the safe perimeter, and had tried to make it to Tokyo, Kyoto, or other points of the compass for help. Their screams and cries of pain and panic had dispersed the mob faster than any military force could have. Pieces of them could be seen from the edge of the perimeter.

….

The asteroid field: neither Ben nor Lindsey had let up, but curiously, Chaos seemed to be holding back. "You're forcing me to do this, boy! I tried everything, but none of it's working! So you're leaving me no choice!"

"Ben! Get back!" Lindsey swooped in, trying to interpose herself between her friend and the destroyer god…

…who simply spread his hands and dissolved from their perception, leaving them looking at each other in dismay.

 _Where could he have gone to?_

…..

Kimihito passed on by, half-way thinking to go check on Miia. Then he changed his mind: he really needed to check on Touka. Kaneki had said she'd been severely wounded, but he hadn't said just how. For all that matter, he needed to check on their other guests: Akira Mado and Amon Kotaro. Akira was recovering from the broken leg Rize had given her, but Amon was hanging on by slenderest thread imaginable.

And then there was Tatsumaki.

The esper was downstairs, in one of the many rooms assigned for care of the wounded. Miia slithered out of the room just as he got there. "Oh! Darling!"

"Miia." He gathered her in his arms, an embrace she readily returned. "How's she doing?"

Miia glanced back into the room, concern on her features. "She…Rachnera says she'll pull through. But she was…pretty badly hurt. Fubuki's with her now." The "Blizzard of Hell" hadn't left her sister's side since they'd retrieved her from the war zone. Miia smiled a very slight smile. "And Lala hasn't said anything about collecting her soul, so that's a point in her favor. Of course, you know…that would be kinda awkward to say, right now, anyway, as things are."

"Yeah. Think I could sneak a peek?"

"Sure. I'll go check on Akira." Kaneki had been _extraordinarily_ protective of Touka since her injury. It was almost like he was afraid to let anyone see her. Kimihito wondered why.

"Thanks, Miia. I don't know what I'd do without you." His eyes followed her down the hallway. _Odd,_ he thought, _I would never, before now, have thought that the sight of a retreating serpent's backside could be so…interesting._

He stuck his head in the door. "Fubuki? How is she?"

Fubuki was seated by her sister's bedside, several cold compresses handy. She barely looked up as he entered. Kimihito doubted that any amount of cold compresses would really help the fallen esper, but it seemed a human gesture. Like the "hot water" thing for childbirth in all the old movies.

And right then, all of them needed to reaffirm their essential humanity, which extended to include the liminals and the warriors Lord Ainz had dispatched to their aid.

"She's…still out. Rachnera says she thinks she'll make it. And Lindsey passed through this way a short time ago; she said pretty much the same." She looked up, worriedly. "Kimihito? Your Lala…if…I mean…" She didn't really know how to ask what was really on her mind, but Kimihito could almost see it.

"Lala would tell me if she knew anything," he said. The dullahan girl proclaimed herself to be a _shinigami_ , an angel of death. That Tatsumaki wasn't on her "collection" list was good news.

Fubuki grew silent at that, looking at her sister. Tatsumaki looked so small, lying there on the bed. "Fubuki, when was the last time you ate?"

"Huh? Oh, uh…I ate. I, I don't remember…I mean to say…"

"You mean you don't remember the last time you ate. Look, Fubuki, I'm not trying to get in your business, but you can't help your sister if you fall apart, too." He paused. "And there was nothing you could have done for your friends. You know that."

A mixture of emotions crossed Fubuki's face: anger, grief, pain… "I know that. But…" He waited. She had to get it out on her own. "That bitch made _sure_ I knew they were dying. I could _feel_ them die, in my mind. She…she got off on that, I think. I really think she did." The "Blizzard Gang" had been reduced to exactly one surviving member. Her shoulders shook. Mountain Ape, Glasses, Eyelashes…all the rest, gone.

Kimihito went over and knelt in front of her. "Fubuki…what actually happened out there? Do you mind telling me?"

She was silent for a long, long time, as though trying to put it into words. "I…I got there too late to, to actually…save her." _Or anybody._ "But…I…I don't know how to express it…I _called out_ to, to Ben, or Lindsey, or, or Tiamat, at that point I didn't care…"

 _Then:_ It was all Fubuki could do just to stay upright. The "Blizzard of Hell" was in her own "hellish blizzard."

Her opponent, the Uplifted ghoul called Rize was quite literally throwing everything except the kitchen sink at her, and Fubuki was reasonably confident that if she looked around, she'd probably see one of those flying amidst the carnage, too.

She only knew she had to protect her sister. The others…they were gone. _Ben! Lindsey! Help me!_

 _Fubuki? Where are you?_

 _Ben? I'm here in downtown Tokyo. The others…they're gone. Rize's gonna kill us both!_

 _Both? Ah, I see…Tatsumaki._

 _Help me!_

 _All right._ As best as she could, she looked around at the flying chaos. Nothing. But…something _was_ different, something inside herself. She didn't know what it was, but it seemed like something was _expanding_ within her. But what _was_ it? She didn't know what to make of it. _Ben? What is this? What are you doing?_

 _Fubuki, Chaos is attacking here. I can't focus my presence there, physically, right now. But I've sent you something. Something you need._

 _What?!_ At that point, she would have taken a sack full of dog crap. Then she thought: _Power? Are you sending me power? Is that what this is, that I'm feeling?_

 _Something more useful than mere power. Something that will last you far longer._

 _What could be more useful?_ She was having trouble concentrating on the cyclone and on her mental communications simultaneously.

 _You'll see._ There was a brief pause in their communication, even though the entire "conversation" was taking place at the speed of thought. _Fubuki, do you believe in me?_

 _Do I what now?_ But even as she asked, she knew what he was asking. Not did she believe he had the kind of power. Not anything that simple. Did she believe he was a god?

And, truth? She'd seen too much to think he was just some guy with a ridiculous amount of power. He was…something more. _Just exactly what_ _is_ _a god, that I can believe in one?_ But she could sense he needed an answer. And she needed to give one, even if just to herself. _I…I do! Just tell me what I have to do!_

 _Fubuki, this is what I want you to know: regardless of how you feel about me,_ _I_ _believe in_ _you_ _. I have faith in you._

 _That's what I'm sending you. What I've already sent you. Now, take it, and USE IT!_

Somehow, she didn't know how, she got her mental "feet" underneath her and managed to stand against the Rize-storm. "Trying it again? Well, I can't fault your courage. Be easier if you just rolled over, though. I'm only sayin.'"

"Not…gonna…happen…." Then, " _LEAVE MY SISTER ALONE!"_

The telekinetic effect focused on a small, golfball-sized area, taking the Uplifted ghoul by surprise. Caught unexpectedly, Rize was lifted off her feet and sent flying backward, into the buttresses of the overhead bridge…

…which groaned and began to collapse.

Fear showed on Rize's face. The last time she'd been caught underneath falling debris… "No!" And with a soundless flash, she was gone. The bridge railing collapsed at that very moment, burying the spot where she'd just been standing.

The telekinetic maelstrom began to slowly die down, but slowly, due to Fubuki's own mental state. As she knelt over her sister, her mind was recalled back over the years, to when they were children. Due to the other kids' fear of Tatsumaki, she'd been the only one to actually play with her, an act which Tatsumaki had totally misread. "C-come on, sis. You…you gotta…" And at point, Kaneki had arrived, teleporting in with Shinichi in tow. "C'mon," he'd said, making his _kagune_ paper-thin so he could slide it under Tatsumaki, "let's get outta here."

 _Now:_ "He, he must have sent me some kinda power boost or something, that's all I can say. I mean, I know for a fact it wasn't just, like, a, a confidence boost or something. I could _feel_ something, something I've never felt before. Just…just all of a sudden, I just _did_ it."

….

Touka's room: Touka gradually came to consciousness, feeling terrible. Rize had ripped her _ukaku_ completely off, inflicting such severe injury that even her ghoul physique was having a hard time recuperating. Still, she was at least beginning to regain consciousness.

"Here," said a voice, "eat this." Something was thrust into her mouth

She bit down, relishing the taste, the crunch of bone. She'd always liked her food to have a little crunch to it. A finger, maybe? Her favorite part. Chewy on the outside, crunchy inside…

Her eyes opened while she was chewing, and she saw Kaneki sitting beside her, on the edge of her bed. Why was he here? What had happened?

Then memory came flooding back: the remains of downtown Tokyo, her trying to find Hinami's foster parents, and succeeding in finding only what was left of them. Her short battle with the Uplifted ghoul, Rize, and the pain of her _kagune,_ as much a part of her as her arms and legs, being ripped from her…Rize's delighted laughter...

" _Here's a tip, Kirishima! Come between me and my son again—even in your dreams—and this will seem like a gentle massage by comparison!"_

"Ka..Kaneki? What…?"

"Good to see you awake. How do you feel?"

"Terrible." She tried to sit up, but he pushed her back down. Inwardly, she bridled; who was _he_ to-*

"You're in no condition to get up yet, Touka. Rize did a number on you, and you know how her attacks go. We almost lost you."

She ran a hand through her hair. He was right, damn him. She'd sooner die than admit it, but he was. "O…kay. But…what's been happening?"

"Invasion," he said simply. "Chaos's monster troops are popping up all over the world. Ben and Lindsey have so far been keeping him busy out in space somewhere, but we're still under siege, basically, here."

"I've got to get up. The others…how's Hinami?"

"Hinami's fine, and so is Yoshimura-san. Now, everything else can wait. You need to recover."

"I…remember…" The taste of that food still lingered in her mouth. Being a ghoul, she wouldn't need to eat again for anywhere from two weeks to a month, but it had sure been tasty. But bones? None of the food they'd brought with them had any bo-*

Then her vision sharpened, and she noticed Kaneki's left hand. It had been crudely bandaged, and the bandages were soaked with blood. Had he been injured in the battle, too?

But as her full faculties came back to her, she remembered that delicious finger…and her eyes widened as she saw the blood-soaked bandages…

…right around where his left little finger would be.

Tears of anger came to her eyes. "You _bastard."_

He shrugged. "Well, I've been called worse." Then he paused, thinking. "Wait, on second thought, no, I haven't. At least, not today."

" _Why?"_

"When you fought Ayato…you needed ghoul flesh to regain your full strength. And…I wasn't using that finger anyway." He got up. "Now just rest. They're telling me Rize's attacks are more than just physical ones. So take your time. Or do I have to tie you to that bed?"

 _Boy,_ he thought, _it's a good thing looks can't really kill._

 _To be continued…._


	13. Chapter 13: Partners

Tokyo Destroyer: Chapter 13: Partners

…

Chapter 13: Partners

…..

Downstairs: Miia came upon the pair in the kitchen.

Perhaps they'd taken a break from fighting Chaos….or something. Ben had a huge dish—actually, it was mostly the entire contents of a five gallon carton—of ice cream in front of him and was busily getting outside of it. Miia got the impression it was comfort food, and that was a bit disturbing, all by itself. Lindsey was putting up some utensils into the cupboard. It was a little odd, seeing them simply busying themselves about in the kitchen, just like any human couple. "Find anything?" she asked.

Lindsey scowled, the frown momentarily darkening her exquisite features. She'd already asked that question, and hated the answer she knew was coming. "No," said Ben, after he'd swallowed another spoonful of ice cream. "I've searched to all the universes to, well, to either 'side,' though that's not accurate, of course. But no. All I've found, so far, is death and devastation. But I can't find Chaos." The _Dama Kan_ had seemed to simply disappear. How hard could it be to find somebody that obvious?

But he hadn't found him yet. Ben had deliberately kept from returning to his and Lindsey's own time line, partly to keep the Destroyer God from following him, but also because of a certain amount of fear as to what he'd find.

It didn't bode well that he couldn't him on _any_ world.

It's the monster you _can't_ see, that gets you.

"You know," Miia began, "I would've thought that wouldn't have been that hard, to find a world-line where Chaos didn't destroy everything. I mean, there's an infinite number of them; logically, there should be an infinite number where Chaos failed."

Ben sighed, looking into his ice cream. "What's true in theory doesn't always turn out that way in, well, let's just call it real life, for lack of a better term. Unreal life? Superreal life? Hyperreal?" He shook his head. "Doesn't fit. Yes, there's an infinite number of alternate realities. But that also means there's an infinite number of Chaos's. And he just doubled our problems by producing Rize." Miia's lovely face contorted as she was reminded of the Uplifted ghoul, and what she'd done.

"And," he continued, after a moment's extremely ominous hesitation, "There…could be more than one explanation for the destroyed worlds."

"There could? What?" But Lindsey, behind Ben, just shook her head ever so slightly at Miia: _don't ask just yet._

That was scary.

Ben scowled into his ice cream, the butter almond momentarily forgotten. That other world…

" _Stacey! What happened?"_

 _The ruined creature on the ground before him, barely alive. "They…they came. The…gods came. They…destroyed…us."_

" _Who, Stacey? Was it Chaos and Rize?"_

 _She looked at him blankly for a minute, as though desperately trying to summon up her last reserves of life. "It was…you, Ben. You, and Li-*" But she could speak no more after that, her spirit having departed to a place he didn't dare try to call it back from._

 _What she'd said: "It was…you, Ben. You, and Li-*"_ He dug back into the bowl. He couldn't talk with his mouth full. Which, of course, was the point.

 _There could be more than one explanation for all that._

 _There had to be._

Miia changed her tactic. In the occasional absence of her Darling, she'd come to take on a larger role. "How's Fubuki?" She had already seen the medical report on Tatsumaki. She'd taken a serious pounding, but she was going to live.

"She'll…be okay." He seemed reluctant to talk about it.

"Good thing you were able to locate them in time."

"Yeah. Being a guy with godlike powers does come in handy, sometimes."

Since his back was turned to Lindsey, he didn't see the expression that came over her normally controlled features. She was in the process of putting away a heavy cast-iron frying pan, and for a brief, horrible moment, Miia thought she was going to brain him with it.

But then she got herself under control, if only partially, and threw the pan back into the sink. The loud crash made Miia jump, even though she saw it coming, and the noise made Ben look around. "Lindsey? Is something wrong?"

The telepath paused a moment or two, steadying, calming herself. "Ben. There's something I need to talk to you about." She turned her three-eyed expression on Miia. "In private, if you don't mind."

"Oh! Of course! I, uh, need to go check on the others…" And out she went.

Ben turned to her warily. "Alright. She's gone. What have I done this time?"

"I think we need to know each other's blood type."

"Say whaaaat?" Had she lost her—no, wait, that was a physical and metaphysical impossibility. Like his own powers, Lindsey's were strong enough to affect the fundamental structure of reality itself. She literally _couldn't_ lose her mind; reality tended to adjust itself to her perception of it. "Where did _that_ come from?"

"It's true. We are, after all, in a war situation here. And you've seen the level of devastation taking place; there's no guarantee _we'll_ be unscathed, ourselves."

"Lindsey…" There was something strange about this whole conversation; he couldn't read her mind (which wasn't that troublesome, in itself; of the two, she _was_ the more powerful telepath), nor could he untangle the probability whorls around her (which _was_ ). "Why don't you just tell me what's wrong?"

"Because you won't listen. Now. Do you want to go first, or shall I?"

"Okay, now wait. Hold on a minute. Something's going on here, behind all this 'blood type' business." He looked around. "But if you're insisting, if it'll make you happy, let me get Rachnera in here-*" He stood up.

"Don't bother." And she pulled out a sharp knife from the drawer and approached him. "Give me your hand."

" _WHAT?_ Lindsey, have you lost—no, wait—no, _yes_ , have you lost your _freaking_ _mind?"_ He stared at his best friend, who was still approaching him, holding the knife.

"Fine. I'll go first." And she stretched out her unoccupied hand, and, with one sudden movement, slashed at her own palm with the knife.

" _LINDSEY! What are you doing?"_ But then his jaw dropped when she showed him her hand.

There was no blood. Nothing but a soft yellow glow from within the lips of sliced flesh. As he watched, that same cut began to close up. "What…" Driven by pure reflex, he reached out towards her. Maybe she needed a bandage or some-*

And she suddenly grabbed him by the hand, and slashed at _his_ hand, cutting him to the bone, just at the base of his thumb. _"Ow! Lindsey! What the hell?"_ He yanked his hand back away from her. She'd gone crazy, that was all. The strain had been too much for-*

"Ben, _look at your hand._ Go on! _Look!"_

He glanced down…

There was no blood. Just a soft golden glow emanating from within his flesh.

He stared, halfway thinking he was hallucinating or something. _But how's that possible?_ His nature, his probability altering nature…any hallucinations on his part _became real._ "I…I don't…"

Lindsey tossed the knife into the sink. It had served its purpose. Unnoticed by either of them, a small drop of what looked like some sort of golden substance dripped off the blade into the sink. "Ben. Out there on the battlefield. You asked Fubuki to believe in you. Didn't you?"

"Y-yes…" Unsure as to where this was going.

"How can you, when you don't believe in yourself?"

"I…"

"What were you asking her to believe in?" She gestured towards the door through which Miia had just departed. "What are you asking _them_ to believe in?" He didn't say anything. Just stood there, absently rubbing his hand. The cut had long since closed up. It hadn't hurt, exactly, but… "You want them to believe in you, to believe in _us._ We're up against a destroyer god, Ben. By definition, that puts him on a higher level than any mortal." Now she moved closer to him, poking him in the chest with a finger. "Out there. You told Fubuki to believe in you. Not to believe she could do it, or any stupid motivational speech like that. You wanted her to believe you're a _god._ A being _beyond the mortal level_. You told her _you_ believed in _her_.

" _And it worked._ She had _faith_ in you, Ben. _Just like you had faith in her_. _And all of a sudden, the odds shifted in her favor._ It wasn't something you did deliberately. _It just happened._ Because _something of you went into her._

"Tell me something, Ben. Suppose, just suppose, God forbid, all those people out there…" and she gestured to the rest of the fortress, including, in the gesture, the subterranean tunnels which Lord Ainz was maintaining at such great cost. "What if they just decided you weren't worth it? That it just wasn't gonna work? That Chaos was just too powerful?" She leaned back against the counter, the sink behind her, crossing her arms, and cocking one green-booted foot behind the other. "Maybe they could surrender. Join his army. Become biologically programmed monsters like the rest of them. They'd at least be alive.

" _What if they deserted you, Ben?"_

"I…" He looked up, horror on his face. "That…that would hurt like hell, Lindsey."

"Yes, it would. _Exactly_ like 'Hell.' You'd have been _discarded,_ in favor of someone better. That would be Hell for you. You'd be in a Hell of your own making. Something that's a part of them, that's in you…wouldn't be there anymore. Something you need more than mere power.

"You don't need their faith to empower or recharge yourself. You need their faith to _motivate_ you. _Just like they need yours to motivate them._

"You've no trouble believing in them. But just now, you said, of yourself, and I quote, 'a guy with godlike powers,' endquote. Ben, you're either a god or you're not. There's no middle ground here. If you're not the god they need, they'll just have to look elsewhere. And the closest being who fits the bill—and who wants the job—is Chaos. He could at least protect them from Rize. If he wanted to, I mean.

"You, I believe, literally couldn't stand it if they did desert you. But you're deserting _them_ , by denying _yourself,_ your own divinity. You're downplaying yourself in their minds… _and in your own._ And you know how our powers, our essential nature, works: _as we perceive a thing, so it is._

"Ben, your powers—and mine—affect the structure of reality itself. The faith of others _motivates_ you, _recharges_ you in a way far more sublime, far more _necessary_ than just plugging into a wall socket. And, furthermore, you not only _get_ that, you _give_ that, as well. Because of that, Fubuki was able to overcome a much more powerful enemy, if only for a moment. Long enough to get the two of them to safety. What you sent her was nothing more or less than _your own faith inside her._ Not some kinda, 'you can do it, I know you can,' drivel, but _your own essence._ _A part of you became one with her._ Because in some ways, you—and I—are the very _embodiment_ of faith. Of _hope._

" _And when you're cut, you don't bleed._ Ben, what other definition of a god can you think of?"

He sat back down at the table. With a sinking sensation, she realized she still hadn't convinced him, not totally. "It's just…Lindsey, I remember being tortured by Dr. Jeroux. I sure didn't bleed light then. And it _hurt._ What happened, between now and then?"

"We're constantly evolving, on a scale and a speed beyond anything even Dr. Jeroux anticipated. I believe we've continued to evolve to something beyond the physical. Call it, 'postphysical,' for lack a better term. We didn't see it coming for the same reason a frog isn't supposed to notice the heat in a pot of water until he's cooked.

"Ben, I'm a mind in a human body. I was once billions of bodies…with one mind. Now I'm one mind with one body. So I guess I see things differently than you do. But this body your physical eyes see before you is not all that I am.

"Yeah," he grimaced, "You're smarter than I am, for one thing."

"Believe me, that's not all that difficult, sometimes. But don't you see that you're depriving _them_ ," another hand wave, "of the very thing that's more important to you than your own life? It's not a question of courage; I really believe you'd go up against Chaos with a butter knife if that's all you had. You want, no, you _need_ them to believe in you, to rally behind you, to give you that intangible _support_ that you get from them simply _believing_. Given the nature of our probability altering-attributes, don't you think _you_ need to believe it, too?" A pause. "And it may not be an effect limited to just us. I can't really tell, what with all that's going on, but it could easily be that their faith _also_ alters reality, though on a much smaller scale, harder to see. But that would make sense, too."

He was silent for a long time, sitting there in the chair in front of her. Leaned back a ways in the chair. Then, "It's just…somehow, when I pictured gods, I never pictured them as sitting at a kitchen table with a bowl of," he looked around, "half-melted ice cream in front of them."

She plopped down in the seat beside him, grabbing a spoon. "Melted, schmelted. It's still butter almond."

…

Not long after, Ben stuck his head in the door. "Fubuki?"

"Ben?" She was too exhausted to even get up, and he looked at her worriedly. He didn't need extra senses to know the esper was on the verge of collapse herself.

"Don't bother getting up, I'm just passing through. Thought I'd see how the patient was doing. Both of them." He crossed the room, and sat on a low stool by the bed. "How are _you_ doing?"

"I'm fine…oh, what am I saying." She knew he'd know when she was lying. "Ben…I _felt them die._ Each one. I mean, we've fought…all sorts, but, but…" He could tell what she _wasn't quite_ saying: how could any creature get such _pleasure_ out of tormenting another like that? He was silent; there was really no answer to that. Then she said, "Thanks for the power boost, by the way."

He got up, stood over her. "Fubuki, I didn't send you any power boost. I couldn't have, not with things as they were. Lindsey and I were strung out over seventy-two different levels of probability. What you did, that was you."

She scowled. "Now, don't try to give me that. Rize's at least a Dragon level threat by now, maybe Demon level. I'm nowhere near that powerful. So please don't give me one of those 'have faith in yourself' speeches."

"I wasn't about to. Fubuki, you believe in me, don't you?" Again that odd inflection to his words.

She looked up at him, towering over her. Oddly, she found being in his shadow…protective. Like being in a fortress or cathedral. "I…of course I do. I've seen you alter the physical properties of reality itself. _I called out to you, and you answered._ There's no way I could _not_ believe you're some kinda god, after that. I know _you've_ got the power…"

He knelt down in front of her, taking her hands in his. "Fubuki…power's one thing, but anybody can have power. This isn't really about power, but…all that happened…all that came from _within you_. Lindsey showed me; I'd…I guess, blinded myself to something that should have been obvious to me. But all that it came from within you because I had—make that have—faith in you. _It didn't matter if you had faith in yourself or not. I did._ " He let her think about that for a moment. "That's what gods _do,_ Fubuki. That's our _purpose:_ to _have_ _faith in mortals, even when—especially when—those mortals don't have faith in themselves._ That's what faith _is._ Us… _in you._ It's not one ruling over the other; it's a _partnership._ " Abruptly, he reached up and touched her on the forehead. "Now get some sleep yourself. You don't need to go making yourself sick. Your sister will be fine. You'll see."

And just like that, all of a sudden, she was asleep...

He teleported back down to the kitchen, where Lindsey was just then finishing up the contents of the bowl of butter almond. He braced himself. "I'm ready, Lindsey. Let's go." He stuck out his little finger.

She got up, licking the last of the ice cream from around her lips, curled her little finger around his, smiling. "Besties forever, Ben." One last lick of the lips. It had been really good butter almond. "Now let's go find that lying sonuvabitch."

And with that, they both disappeared from mortal view.

 _To be continued…_


	14. Chapter 14: Allegiances

Tokyo Destroyer: Chapter 14: Allegiances

….

Chapter 14: Allegiances

"Kid, _how'd you get here?"_ yelled Garou, as he ran, leaping from one rooftop to another.

"I followed you, Mr. Garou!" For a minute, Garou paused. He'd never actually told the kid his name. How'd she know? "I had to warn you!"

"If it's about the invasion, you're a little late. I already know about it!"

"Not that!" He was clutching her under one arm, leaving the other free for defense against anything that might pop up. "Something worse!"

Worse?

"What's worse than an invasion of monsters?" He finally found a spot that seemed beyond the immediate reach of the invading forces.

Suddenly, she put her arms around his neck. "An invasion of _you,"_ she said. Then she drew back, slightly, and put her hand on his chest. "An invasion of _this_ part of you."

He drew back from her, shock spreading across his features. "Kid…who _are_ you?" he asked quietly. " _What_ are you?"

She didn't budge. "I'm your friend, Mr. Garou.

"I've always been your friend.

"Even before you were born."

…

City Z: "On your left!" shouted Genos, as another wave of monsters charged eagerly out from behind the building they'd just left, each one contending with the other as to who would get first blood. His energy beam fried the first two, but what looked like a hundred more, completely undaunted by the deaths of their precursors, surged in behind it.

Silver Fang dodged, spun, and wove, always avoiding his larger opponents' thrusts, striking his own blows with the skill of long, hard-won practice, and with each and every blow a monster fell and did not move. Genos cast a worried eye at him, in between dealing with his own foes: Silver Fang was, after all, human, and the sheer number of the monsters was beginning to wear him down.

Speed 'o Sound Sonic had long since exhausted his own supply of darts and explosive _shurikens_ , and was fighting with one of the spear-axes he'd liberated from a fallen foe. One by one, the monsters charging him fell, but it made no difference to them. Genos wondered if they even had any intelligence in the first place, or whether they were simply preprogrammed biological machines with a permanently-on "kill" switch. Whatever the case, they were clearly biological, as they bled quite copiously. None of that deterred either them or their fellows behind them. In fact, should one monster in the front be wounded in such a way as to slow it down, more often than not, the ones behind it would club it to the ground. It was in their way.

The flying humans(?) were a bit more difficult to deal with. With his boomerangs, Air had managed to down several, but the rest were protected by strange, invisible force-fields. DoS's whips couldn't seem to touch them, and even when she did land a blow, they simply shrugged it off, laughing. Genji Lightning, Pink Hornet, and Jet Nice Guy were taking the battle to them, but even there, they were outnumbered nearly a hundred to one.

And even as Genos watched, Jet Nice Guy exploded in an aerial blossom of red.

"Fall back!" Silver Fang's voice echoed over the din of battle. "We must find a more defensible position!"

"Yeah? Like where?" shot back Sonic. "Mars?"

Silver Fang pointed to what looked like an abandoned office building. "In there!"

"You crazy, old man? They'll just bomb us out of there!"

"No, they won't! This way!" And he led a fighting charge into the deserted structure. They closed the doors, slamming every entrance as tight as they could. Silver Fang hit a hidden switch and thick metal panels extruded down along the windows, shielding them from the monsters' charge.

But now they could hear Chaos's army outside, beating rhythmically on the side of the building. That alone proved they had some intelligence and ability to work together: by concentrating and coordinating their assault, they were setting up a rhythmic vibration that would knock the walls down sooner than mere brute force.

Inside, the heroes took a breather. "We are safe here, for now," gasped Silver Fang. "But only for now. We must move to gather as many civilians as still survive, and bring them here."

"Why here? What was so special about this place?" panted Sonic. Even his reserves had been tested to the limit.

"Because," replied Silver Fang, "I know this structure. It served as a government building, in its life before this disaster. I am reasonably sure there is an emergency accessway, possibly a shelter, beneath it. There, we can better plan our next move."

"Sensei," began Genos, "What of the people left outside?" He gestured towards the reinforced walls, at which the monsters were still pounding.

Silver Fang was more downcast than Genos had ever seen him. "Genos…we will have to see what we can do.

"But we may have to face the distinct possibility that, of the entire population of Cities A through Z, we may be all there is left."

…

"Okay," said Garou, "time out here." He'd reached a point safely away from the monsters. He sat down on a piece of broken masonry, there towards the center of the roof top. "You say, you were my friend…. _even before I was born?_ Kid, that's not possible. It's just not."

"Where do you think you came from, Mr. Garou? I don't mean your body; I mean _you._ The part of you that you can't measure?"

"You mean my soul?"

"That's one word for it. The essential _you._ What makes you what you are. Where do you think it came from?"

He shrugged. This was getting a little too philosophical for his tastes. "I dunno. I just always thought-*"

"Mr. Garou…you gave me food when you thought I needed it. You rescued me when you thought I needed it. _You've been there for me whenever I needed you._

"Those are the actions of a _friend_ , Mr. Garou! We were friends long before you were born, and we'll be friends long after you've died.

"Can monsters—real monsters— _have_ friends?"

"I'm the _human_ monster, kid."

"But you're human _first._ You're not a monstrous human; you're a human monster. There's a difference. Don't you see that?" He didn't say anything, trying to process it. So much had happened…so much was happening. She went on. "People can act in monstrous ways, Mr. Garou. But that doesn't make them any less _people._ But monsters—true monsters—can't act in human ways.

"Such as the ways you've been acting. People—humans—can change. Monsters _can't._ That's what makes them _monsters._

"Those creatures back there. Do you really think they could act in a human way? Would one of them have given me food? Rescued me? And if one of them did…wouldn't that make it sorta human?

"People treated you in horrible ways, back when you were younger. I know; I was there. I was with you the whole time. You couldn't see me, but I was there. But I couldn't do anything then.

"You became the 'human monster' in order to force people to see real, important issues, things like crime, poverty, and war. The people who do those things are the _real_ monsters. You're actually trying to do a _good_ thing! Doesn't that make you more human than monster?"

He shook his head. "You're trying to confuse me…"

"I'm not telling you anything you don't already know! Mr. Garou," and here she placed her hand on his chest, where his heart was, "You know in your heart you're no monster! Monsters don't _rescue_ people, now do they?"

"So…so what do I do?"

She hadn't removed her hand. "You do what anyone, monster or not, does: you follow your _true_ nature.

"What's your _true_ nature, Mr. Garou?"

It was like his thought processes just stopped. "I…I'm not…sure…anymore." He heard another transport tube opening, and could hear the battle cries of Chaos's monsters coming their way.

She stood up, looking towards the sound. "I gotta go." And with that, before his horrified gaze, she ran to the edge of the roof closest to the oncoming beasts, and leaped down into the alleyway right in front of them.

He ran up to the edge, but couldn't see anything for the surging monstrous bodies down below, already intent upon closing in on a group of terrified humans. The monsters looked up. It hadn't yet occurred to these new beasts that there might be any threat from above.

For a brief second, both parties were still, paralyzed by new developments. Garou thought about what the girl had said. There were a lot of bad people in the world, true.

But there were also some good people, people who were truly trying to make a difference, to help others. Maybe the people down below there. He saw some of the men standing in front of the women and children, placing their own bodies in harm's way, in a futile gesture of protection.

They didn't deserve this.

He thought about the little girl, who and whatever she may—must—have been.

Funny, the things that go through your head, here at the End of the World.

 _How do you save the world, Mr. Garou?_

 _One person at a time, kid. Same as we always have before._

With a wordless snarl, he hurled himself down upon the inhuman horde below.

….

Somewhere between Earth's moon and Earth itself: Two figures stood on nothingness, arms crossed, watching the world burn, with senses no human could ever guess at. Not only could they see the devastation, they could see the individual battles, lives lost, hope shattered. "Do I deliver," said Chaos, turning to Rize, "Or do I deliver?"

Rize, her hair blowing in the astral wind, turned to the Destroyer God with a smile of genuine love. Even like this, in his current condition, he was still light-years ahead of any man, any _being_ , she'd ever even imagined. How did she ever get along without him? "You did, indeed, my love. I would never have guessed how _satisfying_ it would be to watch." She took his arm, leaning against his shoulder, and looked back at the planet below, and her smile turned decidedly unpleasant. "Cowardly lions, indeed. The universe has no further need of them. Let them perish.

"But before you destroy it, I would still like to retrieve my son. Aside from you, he is the only person whom I have any attachment for. I…must confess, I'd like to bring him over to us. Just think of the good we could do, together! And I—we—would be so much better for him than that little bitch Kirishima. Her and her oh so carefully concealed 'affection'… _bah_. I only regret I never took care of her during my previous life. She would have made a tasty snack." Her face scrunched in distaste. "Or perhaps not. I'm sure she hasn't been watching her cholesterol intake; that always gives the meat an unpleasant texture."

"You really hate her, don't you?"

"Well, let's see. I'll give her points for saving his life—though she didn't want to do that, remember; that was Yoshimura-san's order—and let's make a note to give him an especially easy and quick death, he's been so kind—but ever since then, she's done little but harass and abuse him at every conceivable opportunity. Oh, I know, it's all about repressed affection, but does she really have to repress it that much? I mean, she practically bounces him off the walls every time she pleases and he doesn't even fight back? I think she's even broken a few bones, in the past, all in the guise of 'training,' of course." She snorted. "That's an abusive relationship if I ever heard of one. Of course I hate her. Any mother would." She straightened up, there in the vacuum of space. "I'll find him someone better. Someone less afraid to admit their own feelings, or, barring that, someone at least a bit more docile. There's still a great many ghouls left. I'll find him a good one, one _truly_ worthy, beautiful in both body and soul." She put a finger to her chin, tapping. "Maybe even several. His own personal harem. Hm." She turned thoughtful. "I'll have to see about the children part—I do so want him to have some; I'm sure he'd be a wonderful dad—but I'm confident that I could manage that, what with all you've taught me. And then…" and here, she turned back to her lover, and her smile once again became that of a woman in love. "then, once you've dealt with that pathetic shadow clone of yours, we can go to that world he came from, make it our own. I'm interested in seeing it.

"I'll bet the natives there are delicious."

…

Miia found Kimihito in his room, seated in his recliner, head resting on his chin, a thoughtful—and troubled, she thought—expression on his face. She slithered up to him, coiling down by the chair, keeping her upper torso on a level with his face. "What's wrong?"

"Am I that obvious?"

"Only to me. And maybe Rachnera. And, of course, Ben and Lindsey. And probably Suu. And…"

He held up a hand, wearily. "Okay," he said, "I get the picture." He sat forward in the chair, marshalling his words. Then, pinching the bridge of his nose, "I've just come from Lord Ainz's realm." Ainz Ooal Gown had extended the offer of sanctuary in his realm, in something he called the New World. "And…well…he's…made a couple of…modifications to his offer."

A chill went up Miia's spine. "He…hasn't withdrawn it, has he?" The notion that the Supreme Wizard may have decided against allowing them into his realm was incredibly disturbing; they'd counted on that, if things got too bad.

And they easily could. Chaos had endless experience, and even with two gods on their side, they were barely holding their own. He was still able to make inroads into their world, largely by drawing out Ben and Lindsey; the battle was being waged across multiple levels of probability. Ben and Lindsey were hard pressed to keep him from destroying the entire solar system, and there was no guarantee they'd succeed. They were currently rumored to be battling him somewhere out in the asteroid field. But they were under a unique handicap: the very battle itself was disturbing space-time so that the entire solar system, maybe even the entire arm of the galaxy, could become destabilized, the matter and energy diffusing into its primordial ylem, unrecoverable. Even as they fought, they had to struggle to prevent that from happening, tag-teaming a destroyer god who had no such worry.

Chaos's genetically modified army was his shock troops on this plane of reality, and he'd deliberately held off unleashing them on this one whole world. Just a city or two here, a province there, an island nation over there. Just the fact that he could strike at will, and the various governments, what few remained, were powerless to stop him, had only demoralized everyone further and contributed to the growing social anarchy.

So far, Ben and Lindsey had been able, by their perceptual balance, their ability to alter reality, to keep the _Dama Kan_ from doing anything more overt, like just blowing up the planet, as Ben said he'd done to a lifeless Earth earlier.

That is, if he'd even tried. Chaos, like his consort, Rize, seemed to enjoy tormenting his prey. He didn't allow his genetically altered monsters to torture individuals—that was more Rize's thing—but they might take a day or so to work their way through a city. The people would flee…only to be met with another contingent coming from the very direction they'd sought safety from. Kimihito wondered if the _Dama Kan_ fed on hopelessness and despair; it certainly seemed like it.

Lord Ainz had dispatched some troops of his own to slow the advance of Chaos' monsters, but, at this range, he was limited to some low-level undead skeletons and liches, which were no match, in the long run, for the sheer numbers and savagery of Chaos' army. And the Kobold Underground couldn't get to everybody in time.

A private worry of Miia's, and one she knew Kimihito shared, was what Chaos was doing with the liminals he'd already captured. Miia hoped they'd just been killed. But was it possible that some of them, changed horribly, were out there even now, rampaging through cities?

How would she feel if she met what used to be her mom?

Lindsey had assured her that wasn't likely. Chaos' shock troops appeared to have been altered over the course of millennia, not just recently. But Miia noticed she didn't say it _couldn't_ happen.

But if they hadn't been killed…what would happen to them?

Would they become breeding stock from which Chaos could forge new monsters?

"No. But that mob the other night did themselves more harm than they know."

….

"Okay, people." Once again, Kimihito had called for a council of war at the dinner table. Such had been the commotion, that they seldom used it for actually eating, anymore, tending more to snack on their own as needed. "As I was telling Miia, that mob the other night…" He sighed. There was no need to go over the memory. They were altogether too aware of it.

An angry group of people had surrounded the house-fortress and demanded impossible things. They wanted sanctuary; they wanted the liminals and their allies to go forth and fight the enemy; they wanted the liminals—whom some still believed were the problem, in spite of the obvious—to disappear or make the current world go away, and bring back the one they knew. Since none of those things could happen, they decided to take out their frustrations on the people they blamed.

Shots had been fired from the crowd at the Kurusu fortress. Ms. Smith's MON team had responded with taser bullets. That had only made things worse; some people had hurled makeshift torches, trying to set the house on fire. That had made Kimihito mad. "Look!" he'd shouted out at the mob, "we're not the bad guys here! And we're doing everything we can! But if you really think you can do a better job? Hey, just walk over that barrier out there. You can still see pieces of the last group!" But the crowd had still seethed, wanting solutions they knew they weren't going to get.

And, to add to the problems, there were refugees straggling in from outside the perimeter. As long as they posed no danger to Kimihito and his group, they could easily pass over the barrier…but once inside, in the sanctuary they'd miraculously found, they were being inculcated with wrongful notions about Kimihito's group. Some of them cast their lot with the rioters, believing the lies they were told. So they added to the problem.

Kimihito knew how to adjust the barrier so as to keep everyone, friend or foe, out, but Miia, like all the others, knew in her heart that he'd never do so.

"That mob…" This didn't come easy for him. "Lord Ainz has extended the offer of sanctuary—to us. And the Kobold Underground, and as many liminals as still survive. But…not the humans. They…aren't welcome any longer."

The group at the table was silent. He looked around: Kaneki to his left, Saitama down from him, Shinichi next, and the newcomer, Garou, even though still recovering from his wounds, to Shinichi's left. Ms. Smith, as a representative of the MON team, sat on the end.

And to his right, his group: Miia, Papi, Suu, Rachnera, Mero, Cerea, Lala, and Polt. "Boss?" Papi's voice was hushed, as she plucked at his sleeve. "What…what are we gonna do? Just…just leave all those people?" For once, the harpy's good nature couldn't protect her from the somber reality.

He sighed, putting his hand on her wing, reassuringly. "Papi…I don't know. That mob the other night…they shot themselves in the foot. I hate to say it, but I can kinda see Lord Ainz's point of view. What if they'd been able to get into the house?" The mob's leaders had all but promised death to Kimihito and his group. "They've made themselves the enemy."

"But…but they got kids, boss. Kids. Those kids didn't come last night."

"I know, Papi. But….I just don't know." But…

He looked at Papi, at her innocent face, shining with concern. And, right then and there, he made his decision. Down the table, Kaneki saw the subtle shift in his cousin's face, and knew just what that decision was. He'd already made it, himself.

Some things run deeper than blood.

"Papi, here's what we'll do. We're going to try to get as many people to the portal as we can. Lord Ainz has already made all the preparations.

"And I'm putting you in charge of that."

"Me?" she squeaked.

"Yes, Papi. I can't think of anybody better qualified to do this. I want you to get the others to safety." He looked down the table. "And I'm deputizing Rachnera and Cerea to help you." The spider woman and the centaur both started at the mentions of their names. "Kaneki, Sai, Shinichi, and I will try to round up as many of the people here, and, and, I don't know. We'll shoehorn them in there somehow. I'll talk him into it someway. But," and he looked her full in the face, "It's your responsibility to get our people down into the Kobold tunnels and to the portal to Nazerick." Their list of wounded was growing, and Kimihito knew they had to do something. Lord Ainz had spoken of healing spells that he could use on the more seriously injured, but he'd cautioned that they could have their own unintended side effects, especially on those directly assaulted by Rize. Evidently, the Uplifted ghoul attacked on a level beyond simple physical injury. In spite of everything they'd been able to do, Amon was still hanging on by a thread.

"But…"

"I'm counting on you, Papi." She fell silent, and he knew the job was as good as done. That was just Papi. She might be forgetful, but she'd never ever leave anyone behind, especially children. No matter what.

He'd personally see to it that she'd live long enough to cuddle some hatchlings to her breast.

"How's the perimeter shield holding?" He rubbed his eyes tiredly. Miia looked at him in concern; she, of all of them, recognized it for what it was: a distraction. If the shield failed... Kimihito was only human, after all, in spite of the augmentation Ben had given him, and he'd been pushing himself ever since this war began. Even while he told others they needed to take care of themselves, he needed to do the same.

She resolved to see to it that he did get some rest. If she absolutely had to, she'd just trap him in her coils. Just keep him from getting ahold of the tip of her tail.

….

Afterwards, Kaneki caught up with him in the hallway upstairs. "Got a minute, Kim?"

"Sure. Let's go in here." And he led his cousin into his room. Some inner instinct told him this was probably going to be a discussion best not held in the hallway. "What's on your mind?"

Kaneki leaned up against the desk. "I know you intend to stay, try to hold the door open as long as possible."

"Well, of course. We'll have to use the 'Titanic' method: women and children first, then-*"

"I also know you don't expect to see the New World yourself."

Kimihito turned away, annoyed. "Well, of course I will. You and Saitama get through and-*"

Kaneki went over and put his hand on Kimihito's shoulders. "Kim. You can fool a lot of people, but not me. Even with your Excalibur armor, I know you don't think you'll make it."

Kimihito was silent a moment. It was true, he had already determined to personally stand between Chaos and Rize's hordes and the evacuees…and if it cost him his life, so be it. "Well…yeah. I mean, what else can I do? I have a responsibility to the rest of you-*"

"And we have one to you."

"'We'?"

"We," said a voice from the doorway. He whipped around to see Saitama, Kuroko Smith and Garou standing in the door.

Kaneki continued. "You're making a stand, Kimihito. A stand you don't expect to walk away from. No, don't deny it; I saw it in your face when you were talking to Papi. Well, we're making that stand with you. We've a responsibility, not just to these people, but first to you."

He continued. "I don't know if you've noticed, but we could easily be the last pocket of true civilization on the Earth." And that was true. In the chaos, with _Dama Kan's_ monsters coming out of dimensional tubes across the beleaguered world, most governments had simply dissolved into anarchy. There had even been instances of some governments ordering nuclear strikes on those population centers under heaviest attack. Needless to say, that had only hastened the demise of those governments, as even their own ranking officials deserted them in droves. Some had even done the unthinkable: actually defecting to Chaos, on purely ideological grounds, because of that.

Sometimes the devil you don't know is better than the one you do.

"Ben and Lindsey have had their hands full trying to keep Chaos from screwing with the whole solar system, and they're the only reason there's anybody at all left here now, what with those K sub one lines they mentioned." The two gods had been able to use their power to isolate the majority of Chaos's army. The few times the K sub one lines had broken through…the hideous _things_ that had emerged had frightened even Chaos's berserker troops. Kaneki would have preferred Chaos's genetically altered creatures to those things. The horror stories around them… "Kimihito, they're doing their best. But…we've a responsibility too. They can't do everything for us, and anyway, it wouldn't be right if they did. On some level, this has to be our fight. And…this place has become a castle, a fort. You know, in the old days, that's what castles were for: to keep the enemy back, to protect the populace.

"And castles were ruled by kings. And that's what you've become, Kimihito. Like it or not, you've become our king, our warlord. Where you go, where you lead, we follow."

"I…guys…"

"He's right," said Garou. Ever since his mysterious conversion, the spiky headed young man had become one of their fiercest fighters, consistently hurling himself between the monsters and the humans. That was one thing that led to his injuries. If Saitama had been just a few minutes later… "We're staying."

"So are we," said a voice behind them. They turned, to see Tatsumaki, supported by Fubuki, in the hallway. "We're staying. No way are we leaving you here, Kurusu. That funky ghost armor of yours doesn't make you invincible, you know."

"I'm staying too," said a voice behind them. They turned to see Akira, hobbling along on an improvised crutch, just then catching up to them. "I may not have my _quinque_ anymore, but, but, I'll swing a shovel if I have to."

Hinami came up behind them, worry and fear on her face. "I'm sorry, Mr. Kurusu! I couldn't keep her back…"

"And get used to us being around, too," said a voice coming from the other direction. The MON team appeared from the other end of the hallway. _Does everybody know about this conversation?_ —wondered Kimihito.

"Guys…I appreciate it more than I can ever say, but…"

"No buts," growled Tatsumaki, "Just let me get my feet under me and I'll throw those monsters into the sun. They'll make nice marshmallows. I owe 'em," she said, and here she looked up at Fubuki, who was still supporting her, "for what they did to my sister." Fubuki stared at her in amazement. Was this the same person who'd ignored her for so long?

"Add me to that," said Touka, just coming around the corner, leaning against Shinichi's shoulder. Kaneki jumped, and ran over to her. "Touka! You shouldn't be out of bed!"

"Oh yes I should, Mr. Big Hero." Then, to Kimihito, "I…might not be up to full strength, but, but I'm getting there. I can damn sure make do." She glared at Kaneki. "I am _not_ scampering off to safety and leaving y—* my friends behind. So don't even think about it."

" _And even though it goes against my better judgment, Shinichi and I will be there, too,"_ said Migi's voice from Shinichi's hand. Shinichi nodded. "What he said."

"Guys…" Kimihito was flabbergasted. "I…don't know what to say."

"Nothing to say," said Kaneki, drawing back from Touka momentarily, "My Lord." He gave a short bow, and the others followed. "You're our leader. You lead. And I will not see you fall."

 _Because I'll fall first._

…

Later: "You wanted to see us, milord?" Cerea and Rachnee crowded into the small room with Kimihito.

"Yes, Cerea, Rachnee, I did. I've a special mission for you. You know, I told you to help Papi with the evacuation, right?"

"Yes, milord. Though it pains me to leave your side, I shall remain faithful to your orders."

"Hm," went Rachnee. She was under no such chivalrous restraints, Kimihito knew.

"Well, there's more."

"Milord?"

"In Lord Ainz's realm…in the New World. I want you two to…look after Papi for me, will you?"

"Look after her, snookums? What do you mean?"

He tried to look nonchalant. "Well, I mean, we don't know what we'll find. There could be dangers there we've no clue about. Chaos or Rize could easily follow us there, for all we know. I know Ben and Lindsey are saying he's disappeared, but that only makes me worry all the more. It's like the horror movies: when you think the monster's gone, that's the exact time when it pops up, right in your face. Well, we could be fighting an all-out battle then and there. And, I think you both know Papi's…special." _Special to my heart. Miia's my chosen, but…_ "She's gonna need some help, is all I'm saying." Both of them raised eyebrows at him: Cerea, one, Rachnee, four. "So I'm asking you personally, would you please look out for her? For me?"

They both seemed to wilt slightly. "You know we will, snookums."

"Of course, milord. It shall be as you desire."

"One more thing." Another raising of eyebrows. "I'd…I'd like you two to find her…someone. A good man, one who'll love her, cherish her the way she should be cherished. You…know. Not just someone good, but someone _great._ "

There was a moment of silence. Then Rachnee spoke up. "Honey…you sound like you're expecting…"

He waved them both off. "No, I'd want you to, regardless. I mean, even if we were staying, even if there was no war…I'd want you to, anyway. I mean, I'll be with Miia, but Papi…she'll need someone. You know she will. She's…an innocent even in this world, and we've no idea what kind of world we'll be going into. And I trust the two of you, especially, to look after her. You, Rachnee…you can read people like a book. And Cerea…if someone's mean to her…if, God forbid, someone _abuses_ her…I want him dead. Not just hurt. Not just bleeding. _Dead._ And I don't care how you do it, or how long he suffers. In fact, the longer, the better. Got it?"

The two exchanged long glances. Then, "Sure, honey." "Yes, milord."

"Good. Now, you see, that's one less thing on my mind. So…" He rubbed his hands together briskly, changing the subject. "Let's go see to that evacuation, shall we?"

….

Nazerick: "Are these the items I requested?" Momonga, now known as Lord Ainz Ooal Gown, surveyed the objects before him.

"Indeed, my Lord," said the figure in the tan military coat beside him, gesturing grandly. "I personally gathered them from the far corners of—*"

"—the holding chamber where I stored them," finished Ainz. He heaved an inward sigh. The former NPC, Pandora's Actor, whom he'd created himself back when all this had been a harmless game, could be a little hard to take sometimes. "And I thought I told you not to salute me anymore."

"Ah! I beg your forgiveness, my Lord! It was a, a misremberance on my part! It shall not happen again!"

 _Just like it didn't happen the last twenty-two times since I gave you that order,_ thought Momonga, putting a bony hand over his face. Well, it _was_ his own fault. _I seriously need to re-write this guy's code. Somehow._ "And these," he picked up a particular object, one of several placed aside from the others, from the desk. "These are the _very special_ items I requested, aren't they?" But even as he said it, he could feel the power surging through the object he'd picked up, answering his question. He didn't even need to hear his lieutenant's overly obsequious confirmation.

Yes. These items were a special request.

…

"I have the items you requested," said the Lord of Nazerick to the shadowy figure. "You know they came at a great cost, originally."

" _I do, My Lord Ainz,_ " said the silhouette in the darkness. _"I will, of course, pay the agreed-upon price."_

"It is a high price. Are you sure of this?" The voice was strangely hypnotic, and, for a moment, Momonga struggled to free his thoughts from the spell of the voice in the darkness…

…but he did not succeed. Not totally.

" _I am sure. It will be worth it, just to see the look on his face."_

 _To be continued…._


	15. Chapter 15: Promises

Tokyo Destroyer: Chapter 15: Promises

….

 _A crossover between various franchises. I don't own any of 'em, of course. Just sayin.'_

…

Chapter 15: Promises

"Darling?" Miia's voice came to Kimihito as he was passing by her room.

"Yes, Miia?" He had a folder of maps he needed to share with the others, Akira especially, to see if there were any places in Tokyo where there could be survivors. Even though the city itself was a lost cause, there could still be pockets of survivors, survivors they could conceivably teleport to within the perimeter and relative safety.

Though privately, Kimihito had begun to have doubts about the impregnability of the dome. Lindsey had stressed that, while powerful, the field did not guarantee anything. There were lots of ways a force field could be defeated, short-circuited, or bypassed in some way. And Chaos knew a great many.

Which meant Rize knew them too. There was little doubt, from what they'd learned lately, both from reports from Ben and Lindsey, and what spotty news coverage there was, that those two were a couple. Somehow, the _Dama Kan_ had granted the boon of accelerated evolution to his ghoul lover, and she was now far, far more than she had been. And it had to be assumed that whatever Chaos knew, Rize knew as well.

So, Kimihito was wondering...how would Rize get around the force field? They were already getting people-humans and liminals-down into the portal to Nazerick, but it was a slow, painful process, and more than once, they'd had to weed out some self-important individual who thought _he_ merited special attention. A little webbing from Rachnee had pretty much sewed that up. "Yes?" He stepped into her room, where she was, coiled up in front of her mirror, brushing her hair. That wonderful hair, he thought.

"Darling? We need to talk." She came over and led him over to the bed.

"Sure. What about?" His mind was a million miles away, but Miia's wonderful feminine scent was rapidly bringing him back to Earth. Funny; at one time, he would have thought she'd have a reptilian scent to her, but no, she had a heady sweet feminine scent that just did things to him. Especially below his waist.

She leaned up against him. "I know that you're expecting a major battle soon."

"Yeah. I don't know about Chaos, but I know Rize won't be able to just let it go, this pocket of civilization. We're blood in the water to a shark. She won't be able to resist trying something. I just wonder what."

"If she can't breach the shield, she'll try to get us out from under it." He looked at her in surprise; Miia had a brain inside that beautiful head. "She won't be so overt as to try torturing some people, getting us-you-to charge to the rescue, but she will try some sort of entrapment. Something we won't be able to ignore, or fight from behind this shield. She may even try to turn us against each other somehow. So you-we-will have to be ready for that." _Wow,_ he thought. Beauty _and_ brains. How had he ever not noticed this before? But then he saw… "Darling, you made a promise to me not long ago."

"Huh? I did? What?"

"You said, and I quote, ' _Our_ daughter won't be the product of rape.' Remember?"

"Oh...yeah…" After they beaten Kasegi, the phony "director," who'd tried to inseminate both Papi and Miia in order to sell their eggs, Miia had been distraught over the man's assertions that the Lamias and Harpys basically procreated by raping human men. It had hit a nerve with her. And Kimihito had made her that promise. One he intended to keep…. "Uh, what are you getting at, Miia?"

Her hand moved over his chest. "Darling. It's the end of the world. Right now, 'winning' simply means 'surviving,' and there's no guarantee either of us will do that." She began unbuttoning his shirt. "So I'm calling you on your promise, Darling." She slipped out of her top, her breasts bobbing free. She snuggled up against him, and he could feel the heat of his arousal beginning to make his pants very tight. She lay down upon the bed and pulled him to her. "One way or another, Darling, you _will_ survive."

….

Papi was flying her usual reconnaissance flight over the district—taking care, as Kimihito had instructed her—to stay well above effective gunfire range. Kimihito had wanted her to stay behind, but she'd insisted, wanting to help. So…aerial recon.

Truth was, Kimihito was concerned about Papi's forgetfulness. While it was true the harpy's memory wasn't quite as bad as he'd once feared, still, she did forget much of what she'd learned with every third step. However, they'd learned that as long as her feet were off the ground, she could remember, and, moreover, were her feet off the ground for any extended period of time, she could remember things she'd previously forgotten. So she was ideally suited for such aerial maneuvers.

At the moment, she was cruising over a forested region to the northwest of the province. It was just at the perimeter of the shield lines, and Kimihito was concerned that a concerted attack on the shielded area would begin there.

She was gliding, spiraling upward in a thermal she'd found, when she heard her name being called. "Papi! Papi, over here!"

She looked down and saw, just outside the barrier, a young, pretty woman in a frilly white dress. She had long purple hair that hung down below her shoulders. A worried expression decorated her otherwise perfect features. "Papi! Hurry!" She looked around nervously. "I don't have long!"

Curious, Papi flew closer, barely conscious of the fact that the shield was set to keep out dangerous influences—and this woman was outside the shield. "Who are you?"

"I'm Rize Kamishiro." Papi drew back, frightened. She'd inadvertently flown outside the shielded area, the field having no effect on her. But Rize grasped her arms, her _kagune_ unfurling and wrapping itself around the now thoroughly frightened harpy. "Look, Papi, I don't have much time." Again, she glanced over her shoulder, apprehensively. "There's something I have to tell you.

"It's about your people, and Miia's. They're in trouble. Serious trouble!"

…..

"She's overdue," fretted Kimihito. Papi had failed to report in a quarter of an hour ago, and, for her, that was unusual. True, she was forgetful, but he'd stressed that she should stay in the air and not touch the ground. As long as she did that, she'd be okay. "Manako? Can you see anything?" He knew his ally had a power of vision none of the others did. Lindsey had augmented her power to where she could actually see _through_ objects within a limited range. She should be able to spot Papi anywhere within the shielded area.

"No, Kimihito." The slender Cyclops was looking around, scanning the perimeter, focusing her eye to peer through the concrete and rebar of the surrounding buildings. "Do you want us to go look for her?" She hefted her modified .50 BMG. She no longer had to peer through the telescopic sight; Lindsey had augmented that, too, to where the gun automatically zeroed in on whatever she chose to focus upon. In a long-range combat situation, she was all but unbeatable.

"No," he replied. "I'll give her another ten—no, make that five—minutes, then I'll go myself." In his Excalibur armor, a gift and augmentation from the gods, Kimihito was nearly as invincible as Saitama himself. "I…just hope I don't have to."

The forest: Papi shrank away, as best she could, as the purple-haired girl's _kagune_ held her up off the ground. "Listen, Papi. I don't have long. Chaos could come back here any second. I've something to tell you, something you won't like to hear, but I've got to tell you anyway."

"W-wait," squeaked Papi, trying, in vain, to get out of Rize's grip. She'd seen what the Uplifted ghoul had done to the CCG agent, Amon. "L-let go…"

"Papi, don't be afraid." It wasn't lost on Papi that the grip of the purple-haired girl's _kagune_ wasn't particularly threatening, and it was keeping her up off the ground. She remembered Boss telling her she shouldn't set foot on the ground until she'd completed her mission. "I've nothing against you or the other liminals," she said, again glancing over her shoulder, as though expecting eavesdroppers, "Your people, like mine, have been persecuted over the years. That's why I'm doing this. But I don't have time to go into all that. Chaos could come back at any moment, and I'm the only person in the entire galaxy who could tell you this and him not know about it.

"It's your people, Papi, and Miia's, the lamias and harpys. They're in terrible danger!"

….

"Okay, that does it," said Kimihito. "I'm going to find her." _If she's been harmed, may God have mercy on whoever did it. They're gonna need it._ He _thought_ , and, with an ascending whine of power, the gleaming silver armor instantly formed around him, not actually touching his flesh, but seeming to float a quarter of a centimeter above his force-saturated skin. _"Excalibur systems online,"_ read the head's up display. _"Forged in the Name of God. You are worthy."_ Weaponry humans wouldn't be able to understand for a thousand years came online, and he was just about to lift off, when he heard the scream…

…..

"Listen, Papi! Your people—I'm sorry to have to put it this way, but what's left of them—are holed up with the lamias on their island. Here." She fished out a piece of paper: a hardcopy map. Every computer network on the planet was down. "Take this map. Get it to Kimihito and the others." Again she glanced around, nervously. "I think Chaos is out by the asteroid field, but I'm not sure. Anyway, he can teleport anywhere at any time. Get back inside the defensive perimeter as fast as you can, and take this message to Kimihito." Since her _kagune_ was still holding Papi, she reached up and placed the rolled-up map in Papi's skimpy halter-top, between her breasts. Again, she paused, looking as though _listening,_ but not with senses humans or liminals had. "I can't sense any of his troops out here in this area right now, but that's not important. You have to hurry. There's not much time.

"There's a contingent of Chaos's troops even now on that island, closing in on them. They don't actually know about your people being there, in that area, yet; so far I've been able to keep them from finding out, but I don't have that much control over them. I'll do my best to divert them, keep them back, but I can't stop them, Papi! You and the others have to go bring them here, quickly!" She let a very pale Papi go, again glancing around. "Hurry, now. _Don't touch the ground until you've relayed this message to Kimihito and the others, understand? Otherwise, you'll forget!_ Now, hurry! If you don't, they'll all be slaughtered!"

…..

Papi's scream—a sound Kimihito had hoped he'd never hear—momentarily paralyzed him, as she practically fell out of the sky and into his arms, sobbing. "Boss! Hurry! They're all gonna die!"

"What?! What, Papi? What is it?" But she couldn't do anything but cry. He let his armor return back into his soul where it was stored, picked her up bodily, primarily to comfort her, but also to keep her from forgetting anything. He carried her into the house. She continued to weep and moan, and his alarm mounted. What could it possibly be?

He got her seated on the couch, and the others crowded around, with Miia holding the distraught harpy, comforting her like a child. "C'mon, Papi, talk to us. What happened? Who's gonna die?"

"A-all of 'em, boss. Everyone! I…she said…" But her words were interrupted by another bout of crying.

"Who, Papi? Who said?"

"R-Rize. She, she was out by the, the merimeter, and, and-*"

"Rize! What did she say?" Kimihito asked, with Miia automatically checking the harpy for signs of physical injury. After seeing Amon…

Akira knelt in front of her, taking the harpy's wing in her hand. "C'mon, Papi. Tell us."

Haltingly, Papi relayed Rize's message. "A-and, and, she gave me this." She produced the map. "It…she said those monsters were gonna get 'em…"

Kimihito studied the map, while Akira spelled Miia at Papi's side. "It's a true map, Darling," said Miia, looking it over. "I recognize those features. And here," she pointed to a spot that had been circled, "That cave is sacred to my people. If they were under attack, that's where they'd go."

"And the harpys?"

Miia was almost as pale as Papi. "We have one thing in common: we're both a tribe consisting only of women. So, yeah, there's a relationship there. If the harpys were under attack, they'd probably head for the island." She didn't have to say the rest: the harpys were utterly defenseless. They'd be nothing more than target practice for Chaos's killers. The lamias weren't much better. Aside from their knowledge of poisons and toxins, they had nothing to defend themselves with, either. And Kimihito didn't doubt but that Chaos's genetically altered creatures were poison-proof.

" _Damn_ Rize," said Kaneki, who'd joined them. "This is just her way. Sucker you in with sweet, convincing words, and then…" He didn't have to say the rest. They all remembered what had happened with Miia. "And to think, I once admired her."

"It's a trap, of course," said Kuroko Smith, standing to one side, Zombina at her side, "But it's a trap we can't ignore. She didn't even have to lie. I've little doubt but that the lamias and harpys _are_ there, and that a battalion of monsters _are_ on their way."

Kimihito was pacing, a grim look on his face. "She knows we _have_ to respond. And that puts us at a disadvantage: she knows we're coming and can prepare for it. I don't believe for a minute that bull about her having no control over those beasts. She'll have them waiting for us."

"Then we go." Saitama had rejoined them. Tokyo was a lost cause; even with all his power, he couldn't fight the limitless hordes of monsters pouring through Chaos's wormholes. "We rescue them, and bring them here. Such," he glanced at Papi, still crying on Akira's shoulder, "as are still alive, that is." He tried to keep his voice down, not wanting to add to Papi's misery.

"I'll head there right now," said Kimihito, resolutely. "I can hold off the creatures while-*"

"I said _we'll_ go," said Saitama, just as resolutely. "Or are you forgetting something?"

"You're our leader, Kim," said Kaneki. "But leaders lead. They don't go it alone."

"That," said Garou quietly, standing by him, arms crossed, "is why they're called _leaders."_

"So, you, as our leader, our _king_ , have a responsibility to lead us. We're _all_ going." Kaneki smiled a grim smile. "You might say you're our King Arthur, so to speak. After all," he said, his grin widening, "I don't think it's just a coincidence that you wield a weapon called _Excalibur._ "

Kimihito took a moment to process that. Then a smile quirked the corners of his mouth. "Well, then I guess that makes you my Lancelot, doesn't it?" He looked around at them. "You," he pointed to Saitama, "Sir Galahad. You," this at Garou, "Sir Gaheris. Akira, you'd be our Sir Lamorak." He inclined his head towards Touka. "Sir Bedivere. And…I'll figure something out for the rest of you later."

"Then, let's go," said Kaneki. "I, personally, wanna pay that bitch back for all the hurt she's caused."

"And you'd better not leave me out," growled Akira. "I'll find a weap-*"

"Miss Akira?" Hinami's voice was quiet. She tugged on Akira's sleeve. "Miss Akira? Here." She was holding something up to the CCG agent.

It was Fuguechi-2.

Akira stared in shock. "H-Hinami? Child…what…?"

"Here, Miss Akira," said Hinami again. "Take her. I…I think she'd want you to." Hinami's face and voice were very somber. "I really think she wants you to," she said again, but so quietly that only Akira could hear.

Numbly, Akira took the weapon. As her fingers closed over it, she felt a quiet _thrum_ of power running through the _quinque,_ a sensation she hadn't noticed before.

 _Could_ there be something of the woman's spirit still within the weapon? She knelt down in front of Hinami, a tear making its way down her face. She pulled the little girl to her, and Hinami came into her embrace, resting her head on Akira's shoulder, her arms going around the CCG agent, both of them sniffling. "Child," Akira said, "I'll make you both proud." Then she stood up, facing the others, and nodded to the one she acknowledged as her Liege. "Let's go get our people."

…

Cities A through Z were, at best, battlegrounds. For once, the heroes, villains, and even the monsters had come together to fight the invaders.

Genos was supporting Silver Fang in the makeshift meeting hall they'd managed to create from the old government building, so far. The older man had given a better account of himself than many higher ranking heroes, and so many of every class had fallen: Puri Puri Prisoner, King, Child Emperor, Tanktop Master, Flashy Flash, even Zombieman. The last time anyone had seen the supposedly unkillable hero, he'd been in three uneven pieces. Genos doubted even he could recover from that.

There had been no word from Watchdog Man. Genos hoped he was simply busy.

"Is there any word from any of the other heroes?" Now, in this final hour, there was no longer any distinction between the three groups: they were all heroes now. Heroes trying to survive, and, yes, save as many humans as possible.

That last was proving to be, at best, problematic.

Speed O' Sound Sonic was shaking his head. "Nothing. But communications are all but completely out. Not surprising, what with the whole infrastructure crashing down around our heads. I doubt there's a single comm satellite still in orbit. Or if it is, there's no receivers or relays able to make use of 'em.

"Basically all we have are couriers. And…" He didn't need to finish. Couriers were having a distressingly high fatality rate. And for every one that didn't report back, their own numbers were reduced, while Chaos's seemed endless, with more arriving all the time.

"So…it's just us," said a dispirited DoS. So far, her whips had had very limited use against Chaos's monsters. But Genos had to give it to her: she'd driven herself as hard or harder than any of them.

Genos cleared his throat. The others looked up. "Back before this exploded, I checked up on Tatsumaki. She said, in her usual way," meaning her highly arrogant way, "that the epicenter appeared to be Tokyo, and she was going to investigate. She said _sensei_ Saitama was already there. She mentioned something to the effect that the government was building some sort of stronghold there, north of Tokyo, and _sensei_ Saitama was aiding them in constructing it. If I know the _sensei_ at all, he has either succeeded or failed. I do not believe, for a moment, that he failed. That means, there is a place of safety where we could assemble such survivors as we can."

"And of course," sneered Sonic, "yourselves, as well." Being forced to side with the heroes grated on his nerves. They were so supercilious.

Genos looked at him, his face hard. "I cannot speak for anyone else here," he said, looking around at the assembled group, "but I do not plan on taking advantage of any sanctuary, myself. Instead, I will work to rescue as many civilians as I can, and somehow get them to this place. But the rest of you might want to go there. Not to run away," he said, seeing their faces, "but because you may be needed there. I am sure, if such a place exists, it is under concentrated attack. I am also sure, if _sensei_ is there, and alive, that such attacks have proven futile. But _sensei_ is, for all his power, only one man. He will need help."

Silver Fang nodded. "Then…let those of us with courage be that help."

…

Nazerick: Momonga-Lord Ainz Ooal Gown-was becoming concerned. He hadn't heard from Kimihito in a while now. He hoped they hadn't been overwhelmed, but he was realistic enough to admit—if only to himself—that if they stayed there much longer, they more than likely would be. So where were they?

His power was limited in Kimihito's and the others' world. Preparing for the worst, he assembled his own forces. "Sebas. I will need you, Mare, and Aura to coordinate the defenses of Nazerick." He had little doubt but that the Great Tomb would come under attack at some point. The only question was by whom. "Shaltear, you, Entoma, and Demiurge are charged with determining what can be done to defend the people of the countryside around. We have a responsibility to those humans—and others—to whom we have pledged to support. It will not be easy, I know," seeing the looks on their faces. Most of them didn't have a high regard for humans in general. "But it is necessary. The enemy must be halted as far from the Tomb as possible. It is my wish, my command."

They bowed. "It shall be as you wish, My Lord Ainz," replied Sebas.

"You got it, Lord Ainz! Uh, I mean, yes, sir!" Aura saluted. She turned to her brother, doing his best to hide. "C'mon, Mare, salute! Just like I showed you!" Shyly, her twin brother brought up his hand. The others acknowledged their obedience and left.

"My Lord?" Albedo spoke up. "What…what will you have me do?" She felt a little left out.

He turned, seated upon his throne, and looked at her. Then, to her great surprise and even greater delight, he reached out with his bony hand and took hers. "I need you here, Albedo.

"By my side."

She did her best to control her face, but the orgasm made her blush beet-red.

 _To be continued…_


	16. Chapter 16: Evacuations

Tokyo Destroyer: Chapter 16: Evacuations

…..

 _Don't own, etc._

…..

 _Sorry for the long wait in posting, people. Sometimes, the world just gets in the way._

 _..._

Chapter 16: Evacuations

The Island of the Lamias: Kimihito and the others teleported in, already in battle stance. Not without good reason: they could see, on the horizon, a moving black line that, to Manako's and Kimihito's enhanced vision, resolved into thousands of Chaos' troops, in various types of watercraft, all of them heading straight for them. "There goes our element of surprise," Kimihito sighed. He hadn't really expected it, but… "Miia! Give me a heads-up! Show me where your villages are, and where this cave is!" His telepathic communication was answered almost immediately, as his fiancé sent him a holographic map to his HUD. "Okay," he said aloud. "Akira? I need you, Shinichi, and Kaneki to go to this one," he projected it into the air, "Sai, take Garou, and go _here._ " Another map projected into thin air. "Both of you, search for any and all survivors. But do it quick." He looked back at the approaching army. "I doubt we have long. Use the teleport disks." They had each been outfitted with small computers, wrist-watch sized, that kept them in touch, and also could be used to teleport from one place to another instantaneously. They could use those to bring any survivors or wounded. "The rest of you, follow me." And he took to the air, his armor's living circuitry melding perfectly with his entire being, showing him exactly where to go…

The first village: Akira carried her _quinque_ in its provided holster. She didn't want to scare anyone who'd probably already been terrified enough. She wondered if Rize had been lying when she'd told Papi that she'd been able to divert Chaos' monster troops. Or, if so, had she even tried.

It would have been hard for anyone, by now, to be ignorant of the invasion. That didn't mean they'd realize Kimihito's people had come to rescue them.

She found herself alongside the ghoul, Eyepatch-no, wait, he'd called himself _Kaneki._ She wasn't use to being on such terms with one of the sort of monsters who'd killed her dad.

But…

But now, she knew him as a person, seen him act in a way that could only be called decidedly non-monstrous towards humans and liminals. Heroic, even.

Perhaps her previous assessments of his kind might need some updating.

She cleared her throat. "So," she said, "I understand you were not always a ghoul."

He glanced at her, his attention still focused on the seemingly-deserted village they were walking through. "Yes, ma'am. I...well, let's just say it's complicated."

"You got ghoul parts transplanted into you." At his surprised look, she smiled a slightly smug smile. "We've long known about the process, how it works...sometimes. But more often than not, it doesn't, and the victim dies in agony. His ghoul organs consume the human flesh around them. But you were one of the lucky ones."

"At one time, I would have disputed the word 'lucky.' But I know what you mean."

"Your change was involuntary, then?"

"Hell, yes. Some steel beams fell on me and the ghoul who was trying to eat me. She was killed-or at least, that was the cover story-I wasn't, so they transplanted her organs into me." Still looking around. Looking, and listening. "At least, that was the way it seemed. Turns out the doctor who actually performed the surgery had his own agenda, one he proceeded to put into motion with the ghoul who was with me."

"Who was that ghoul?"

He glanced briefly at her. "Rize Kamashiro. I believe the two of you have met."

Akira's face showed surprise. "That monster who hurt Amon?"

"The same. The doctor-Akihiro Kanou-secluded her away in some secret laboratory somewhere, and began transplanting her _kakuhou_ into other, unwilling 'volunteers.'" She could hear the disdain in his voice. She couldn't blame him. Wake up and find yourself a monster? She couldn't imagine what he must have gone through.

"And Rize was rescued by Chaos. Rescued and...what? Evolved?" But a shout from Shinichi drew their attention. "Over here! Migi's sensing somebody underneath this rubble!"

Between Kaneki's ghoul strength, and Shinichi's (or, rather, Migi's) enhanced senses, and using Akira's nearly-indestructible _quinque_ as a prybar, they managed to uncover the remains of what had once been someone's modest dwelling. What had happened to it was not clear; the invasion surely hadn't already reached this area. Perhaps some natural disaster.

Although Akira didn't believe that for a minute. But what she _did_ believe was disturbing: this was not the overkill they'd seen of Chaos's troops. That only left one entity who could have shelled the area.

It wouldn't be the first time, she thought, as they worked, that some authority had, in the midst of the confusion of war, decided a little "ethnic cleansing" would go unnoticed. If she ever found the parties responsible...

But finally, between them, they managed to break into the collapsed facade of the house. Inside was a small pocket where several liminals were crowded, three lamias and two harpys, one with dark, tanned skin and bleached hair. Akira stared; she'd always thought such things were strictly in the realm of humans. But, as she reminded herself, perhaps her definition of "human" was due for some changes. "Who you?" said the harpy, being the closest one to the door. The others squeezed back against the far wall, clearly frightened.

"We're friends," soothed Kaneki. He was careful to keep his _kagune_ retracted, at least for now. These liminals might have heard of ghouls, and would certainly be frightened if they knew. He directed his attention to the harpy who'd spoken. "We're friends of Papi and Miia."

"Miia!" squealed one little lamia girl, pressed against the far corner. "She's my sister! Where is she?" She uncurled and slid over to them, her tail rippling in a delighted way.

"She's back in Japan, right now. We're trying to get as many people here to a safe place. C'mon." He helped them out through the hole into the sunlight. "We can't stay here. There's an army on its way here. Come on, we'll get you to safety."

As they were teleporting the survivors to safety, Akira chanced to sidle up to Shinichi. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah," he replied. "I...I'm just so relieved that she's...you know, alright…"

"And waiting for you?" She half-teased.

He blushed. "Well, yes, that, too."

 _Earlier:_ Back before the invasion had begun in earnest, Kimihito had noticed Shinichi's agitation and inquired about it. "It's...this girl I know. I'm afraid she's dead."

"Who is she?"

Sigh. "Her name's Satomi Murano. We...were rather close."

Kimihito had clapped him on the shoulder. "Look. You'll be no good to anybody until you resolve this. Take Saitama and Garou and go see about her. And take Suu." The slime girl had some healing abilities.

"But...if she's dead…"

"Consider that an order. Besides, you know our gods can reverse time. Even if...well, even if the worst has happened, it needn't be permanent. But you need to know."

" _He's right, Shinichi,"_ chimed in Migi. _"You'll be no damn good to anyone until you resolve this highly personal and completely un-understandable-to-me issue. So go. You might not have the chance later."_

"Alright, since you both twisted my arm…."

" _I'm your hand, not your arm. At least, not your whole arm. Though I'm willing to change that anytime you like."_

"...I'll go."

" _A nice, juicy brain...I'll even preserve your personality, such as it is…"_

"Mi-GI!"

" _Alright, alright, I won't pursue the issue…"_

"Good."

" _...this time."_

Satome's house was a wreck. Evidently, instead of smashing through it with their usual bladed weapons, which they seemed to prefer, _Dama Kan's_ troops had hit with it something like an RPG. Shinichi's heart sank. _At least it was quick._ He was about to turn and order their return when Garou suddenly sniffed the air.

"Wait," he said, "I'm catching a scent."

"A scent?" _Probably blood._ But no, surely the Mysterious Being would not have delayed their return simply because of a dead body. There were plenty of those as it was.

Garou swiveled like a compass. "Over...there!"

Between their combined strength (mostly Saitama's), they threw back masonry and rubbed to reveal…

...a door. A door set flush with the ground. "What the heck?" He pulled on it, but it was fused shut.

"Here. Let me," said Saitama, as he easily ripped the door out of the ground.

"Satome?" Shinichi called into the darkened space thus revealed. "Satome?"

"Shinichi? Is...is that you?" said a small voice from the darkness.

"Yeah. C'mon, give me your hand. Let's get out of here."

Once topside, he examined her. She'd definitely lost weight, and her face showed the ravages of continuous fear. He embraced her, holding her tight. "It's alright, Satome. I'm here; you're safe now. What happened?"

"I, I heard the sounds of explosions all around. I, I barely made it into the cellar when, when it sounded like the whole house blew up." She looked around, the tracks of tears on her face. "I, I guess it did, didn't it? But, but Shinichi... _what happened?_ What's going on?"

"We're under attack from outer space. Now, c'mon...let's get you to-*"

"Shinichi!" Garou broke in. "We'd better be quick! They're coming!"

"Okay, look, Satome, here. Now, don't be frightened, but Suu, here, is gonna form a suit of armor, sort of, around you. Don't worry; you'll be able to breathe..." And Suu flowed around her, the suit being proof against most ballistic missiles and handheld blades. She was careful to leave the human's face largely untouched; she'd learned that humans need to breathe, though she couldn't understand it. Breathe with only one part of your body? Inefficient.

But the armor she formed around Satome not only served to protect her, but to check for and attempt to heal any trauma she might have undergone.

The three of them put their backs to each other, with Satome / Suu in the middle. By now, all of them could hear the approach of _Dama Kan's_ monstrous horde. "Time to blow this popsicle stand." And Garou activated his teleporter…

Satome had been among the first to go through the portal to E-Rantel. Yes, the spoken rule was "women and children first." The unspoken part of that was _"our_ women and children first."

…..

 _Here and now: "Darling?"_

"Yes, Miia?" It lightened his heart to hear her voice over his headset.

" _We...have a problem."_

His HUD showed the perimeter. To Kimihito's dismay, they were not pounding on the shield like the mindless beasts they had all thought they were. Instead they were examining it, determining its exact size, taking notes on tablets, obviously mapping it thoroughly...but why?

His question was answered a moment later, when they produced giant cross-shaped machines of crystal and steel, machines so large and heavy that even _Dama Kan_ ' _s_ oversized troops had trouble carrying them. These they planted into the ground at the outer limit of the shield. "Those must be some sort of shield crackers, Miia. Look, how's the evacuation coming?"

" _Slowly, Darling. The portal is only so big. Papi's doing her best, but we can only move so many at a time."_

 _Damn,_ he thought. Everything happening too fast. And it wasn't lost on him that their forces were, at the moment, spread pretty thin. This would be an excellent time for a major offensive against his people, and their holdings, the humans and liminals they were trying to protect. "Look, Miia. I've got an idea. Wait, let me check this out…" And he thought, sending his mind into the intricate, extradimensional machine-that-was-more-than-a-machine that, for now, had taken on the four dimensional appearance of armor. "Yes. Okay. Here's what we do…"

…..

"But who you?" The tanned harpy was still trying to puzzle out her rescuers' identity.

"We're friends of Papi's," replied Kaneki. He had been told about the harpys's limited attention span. Using a familiar name would probably stick in their minds easier.

"Papi!" The harpy suddenly looked up at him. Something had finally registered. "Papi my daughter! _Where Papi?_ "

….

"Okay, Miia, here's what we do. Tell Rachnee to adjust the portal machine according to these settings." He mentally sent a stream of numbers and codes. "This'll enlarge the portal, but it won't take them straight to Lord Ainz's world. Rather, it'll lead them to one of his staging areas, there on the edge of what he calls the Void. Plus, it'll give us the chance to pull up a portal of our own-so we can bring everybody we find here, through to a staging area, and finally there.

"So hang on, Miia." _Hang on, Miia, my love._ "Help is on its way." He switched for a moment, then thought better of it. "Miia? Tell Rachnee to 'port over here, would you?"

" _Rachnera? Whatever for?_ "

"I've a job for her."

…

The jackhammer-shaped devices emplaced around the protected area did indeed seem to be designed to be shield crackers. Cerea and Mero had gathered before a large crowd of people who'd assembled in the courtyard. "People! Listen to me!" And the hubbub gradually died down to an occasional angry murmur. Cerea's ears twitched in anger. Couldn't the fools see they were doing their best to help them? Oh, but of course they couldn't. "Listen. Our King has, in his infinite wisdom, widened and increased the numbers of the evacuation portals. However," she warned, even as positive murmurs, clappings of hands, and shouts of "Long live King Kimihito!" She also caught an enthusiastic "Yu da...horse lady?"

Oh, well.

"But listen," she shouted. "There's been a change. In order to send the maximum number of people we can to safety, the portals won't take you straight to the New World. Instead, they will take you to a kind of staging area, a sort of planetoid in space, it will seem like, where we can get a count, and then on to Lord Ainz's realm. But you _will_ all get to go. But we must be orderly, or we could jeopardize the entire process. We can't have a stampede for the portal. So work with us here, alright?"

"What about those monsters?" someone shouted. "You can see 'em right there at the perimeter!"

"Don't worry about them." She didn't want to cause a panic by saying anything about shield crackers. "All we have to concentrate on is getting you to safety. We'll be able to do it faster this way. Now, group number 1,123: line up at the gate." A large number of people waved their tickets and headed on in. Cerea sighed; she knew some of them had sold their tickets, or even given them away to a sob story, but there was no helping that.

Down in the kobold tunnels: Papi and Rachnee were working nonstop to move people through the passageway, into the glowing, star-litten portal. Rachnee was concerned about the little harpy; she'd been at this for nearly forty hours now, and her endurance levels were...only so much. Harpies were built for extended workouts, but this... "C'mon, people, be calm. Just step along, that's right." Something about Papi seemed to calm them. More than one infant, clinging to its mother's shoulder, crying incessantly, had been quieted down by a quick hug from her. She was just a natural when it came to kids. Rachnee smiled when she remembered the phrase, _takes one to know one._ Ironic, in a way, that Papi, the most childlike member of their group, had turned out to be, in a way, one of the most useful, when it came to the evacuation.

"Oh, don't cry, little one!" She was holding a woman's screaming child. "It'll be alright! We'll get you and your mommy to safety, you'll see! Here, just a few more feet…" Papi hadn't had to walk much, to herd people through the portal, so she hadn't forgotten anything. Besides, her being a natural mother was evidently something she would never forget, anyway. Soon, she handed the comforted infant back to its mother, who thanked her profusely, calling her an angel. Rachnee shook her head, smiling. Who would have thought it? Papi, saving the world? _Papi?_

Suu was helping, but some of the humans seemed afraid of the slime girl, hesitant to touch her or let her touch them. Suu had learned to keep back in a non-threatening way, only touching anyone when it was absolutely necessary. Mero, whose tank was nearby, kept her in bottled water. Her own regal presence served to calm the frightened humans who were leaving their world forever.

All concerned agreed it might be best if Lala kept out of sight. So instead, the dullahan moved between dimensions, casting about, making sure that the evacuation was proceeding normally, or at least as normally as it could, under the circumstances.

" _Rachnera?"_ Cerea's voice came over the comm. _"Lord Kimihito has asked for your presence Staging Area 1-B."_

Rachnera frowned. "Me? What for?"

" _He did not say. But you must go to him. I'll come down and relieve you."_

….

Staging Area 1-B: Kimihito was communicating with Rachnera over the holocomm they'd taken to using, and his head and shoulders were being projected into the air in front of her. "Rachnee, I need you to coordinate group 137." At her expression, he continued. "Yeah, I know. Those are the troublemakers. But that's why I need you. I've got Tionesha and Zombina there already, but they don't have your people skills. Plus, let's face it, you're as intimidating as hell. So…?"

She saw the wisdom of his words. Yeah, Tio was a bit of a girly type, a pushover for a sob story, while Zombina would rather just blast them all. Fewer to shoehorn through, that way. She'd have to ride herd, not just on the humans, but on her comrades. "Where's Manako?"

"I've got her scouting out the landing stage at the New World. Lord Ainz prepared an area where they can be sorted; it's not far from one of the towns. A town under his control, by the way; someplace called E-Rantel."

He hesitated. Then, "But before that...there's another matter I need you to do. You and Doppel." He spoke with her for a few more minutes.

"Snookums...do you know what you're asking?"

"I certainly do, and I also know there's no one else I trust to do this and do it properly. I know you can do this, and I need you to take on that particular responsibility for me." He sighed. "I've a hunch I'll be...otherwise engaged."

For the space of a few more seconds, they simply stood there, on the artificial moon, the stars of space all around them, and said nothing, both of them quietly contemplating Kimihito's orders. "So...can I count on your for this, Rachnee?"

"You know you can, Kim." And she unhesitatingly walked into the portal into Lord Ainz's realm.

 _But I don't have to like it._

… _.._

Nazerick: Ainz Ooal Gown sat on his throne. He had no doubt but that he would soon have to take a more open hand in the matter. This was simply a matter of survival for them all. He was, after all, the final boss in the game when it had been only a game. Now it was real, but it still left him no choice. And he knew he'd need a backup plan. Brute force could not be counted on here.

Now just exactly how does one fight gods? He already had one strategy in mind, but to put it into action could require actions on his part he was reluctant to make.

But to protect his people, especially those who had become dear to him-one in particular came to mind-he would make a deal with the devil himself.

Ironic that that was fairly much what he was about to do.

….

Earth: The shield crackers had been powered up, and Miia could see flashes of light along the outer perimeter. Screams went up as some people began to panic. "Easy, everyone. The field is holding up as it should; there's no danger."

Rachnee came up behind her. "Miia, on orders from our Lord, I have to tell you you're being reassigned. There's another place Lord Kimihito feels like you're needed more."

Miia put her hands to her face. "But...but I haven't made any mistakes, have I? I mean, what does this mean? Have...have I displeased Darling in some way?"

"Not at all." Rachnee led her indoors. "Quite the opposite in fact. He wants you to direct operations in the New World. After all, there are many humans there who have found themselves in a very strange place. You are adept at reassuring them; he has noticed this. So, you're being reassigned to the New World, to oversee operations there."

"But...but I can't just _leave_ these people! You saw for yourself, some of them are on the verge of panic!"

"They are, but others of us will fill in for that." At Miia's anguished expression, she responded, "Miia, it is our Lord's wish. You would not want to go against his wishes, now, would you?"

"No, no, of course not! It's just-" Another glance outside.

"And he felt like you might object to this, on exactly these grounds." And Miia felt the shivering / settling that always overcame people who'd been encased in Rachnera's cocoon. "So he instructed me to leave you no option in the matter." Just before the cocoon gently encased her, she heard Rachnee say, "After all, you did tell him, once, that he would survive, no matter what. Well, here's the 'what' part for you.'"

 _To be continued…_


End file.
